


TITANS 2: The Monsters Kingdom

by Darklordi



Series: TITANS (Disney / Monsterverse) [2]
Category: Kong: Skull Island (2017), Moana (2016), TITANS (Disney/Monsterverse)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crossover, Disney, Drama, Fantasy, Other, Skull Island, TITANS (Disney/Monsterverse) - Freeform, monsterverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-05-01 16:46:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 43,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19181839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darklordi/pseuds/Darklordi
Summary: Two years have passed since Moana restored the heart of Te Fiti, and has now become leader of the Motunui tribe. Everything seems to be going well, until one day mysterious foreigners land on the island. The princess of a distant foreign realm, named Rapunzel, then teaches Moana, thanks to the acquisition of a mysterious parchment, the existence of an unknown island in the Polynesian archipelago. Moreover, Moana keeps hearing in her dreams the voice of Maui, the demigod, calling her for help, and the name of this island: Skull Island. Determined to discover the truth, Moana embarks on a new adventure, which will take her to a new land where the human can not survive, and meet a powerful and unexpected ally who happens to be a king belonging to an ancestral species.This story is happening in the same universe and at the same time than the events of "Titans: the Queen and the Beast."





	1. Prologue

01 :00 AM, local hour

Off the coast of South Africa

A rather peaceful night had settled and only the breath of the light breeze caressing the flat surface of the water was heard. A light fog had risen, but nothing too threatening, and besides some seagulls, no sign of life was seeing around. A large ship, sporting large white sails, decorated with the characteristic coat of arms of Corona, kingdom of Germany, floated quietly in the middle of the great expanse and infinite expanse of dark water, having anchored for that night off the coast of South Africa.

Africa was a vast continent, and although visited for a long time by many kingdoms curious to see the cultures and riches, Africa still contained many mysteries as it is immense, and some even seemed very well hidden . Eager to be able to establish commercial partnerships with other kingdoms and the African peoples, Corona had sent several of their dignitaries on the spot. With the permission of the leaders of the African peoples, the ships of Corona had been allowed to sail in African territorial waters, provided that no harm was done to their environment, which Corona promised and kept his word.

On the ship, silence had also settled, the majority of the crew being in the lower level, lying in their hammocks and sleeping soundly and some snoring louder than a cold bear. One of the sailors, a young man with brown hair and eyes the same color, unable to sleep because of the constant snoring of his comrades, decides to get up and climb the wooden staircase leading to the bridge. The fresh sea air stroked his face and he sighed with relief. Finally, a little calm. Apart from himself, almost no one was on the deck of the ship, except the sailor responsible for watching the rudder, who was half asleep on a bench behind. Then, on the front of the boat, contemplating the landscape in front of him, the captain, still dressed in his dark blue perfect uniform, his white trousers, his black boots and captain's hat on his head. Hands in the back, the man seemed thoughtful. The captain was a man in his forties and had extensive experience in the navy. His finely cut mustaches indicated perfect hygiene, and his seasoned eye showed his knowledge.

The young sailor stretched his arms, then went to the bow to see the captain. Although he walked without making too much noise, the captain felt his presence and turned his head slightly towards him, showing a neutral smile.

\- "Well, young John. Does the sea air keep you away from sleep?"

\- "It's rather the air from the mouths of the others that prevents me, captain." the young sailor genuinely says, scratching the back of his head. The captain saw what he wanted to say and gave a little closed laugh.

"How long have you been in the royal navy? Two months? Three months?"

\- "Five, captain." John corrected with some pride. The captain admired this and gave him a light tap on the shoulder.

\- "You still have a career in front of you." said the captain, with his years of experience. "And believe me, within a year, you will not hear snoring any more."

Young John seemed pleased with the captain's encouragement and leaned his arms on the railing. Before his eyes, a few meters away, the surface of the black and bottomless water, and the moon and his own face reflecting in it, gave him chills. The ocean was really a fascinating place, but also terrifying sometimes.

But as he turned up, John looked up, and his expression changed. Perplexed, he looked in front of him with great attention. Pulling away from the fog a little further away, a kind of .... yes, a small form, floating and drifting in the middle of the water.

\- "Captain, look!" immediately warned John by pulling on the captain's jacket. This one, also perceiving the form, immediately took his telescope attached to his belt and glanced. He could then better discern what it was. A piece of wood, perhaps a makeshift raft made with the remains of a ship, and above, a human figure, lying and motionless.

\- "Wake up the others, John!" commanded the captain. The young sailor obeyed immediately and rushed to the rear of the boat, near the rudder, and rang the little silver bell. The awakening was very sudden and most of the sailors fell from their hammocks to the sound of the bell. But accustomed to lightning alarms for the most part, they dressed as quickly as possible, sometimes forgetting a sock or even putting on their shirts, and rushed to the deck, wondering what was going on. The captain made it a point to inform them immediately and pointed out the direction of the drifting form.

\- "A person in distress! Take the ropes and a rowboat, and faster than that!" the captain firmly ordered. All obeyed without question.

The rowboat was launched, and three of the sailors, equipped with ropes, went without further delay to this floating form. Taking the unconscious person with them on the rowboat and wrapping the ropes around the small raft, they brought all this efficiently back to the ship.

Once back on board, everyone approached to see what it was. John was among them and equally intrigued. All moved aside to let the captain come in front.

The person was a man, about thirty years old, black skin, a thin face, black hair damaged by the long bath in salt water, and an unshaven chin. He wore nothing but ragged remains of clothes, and he wore streaks all over his body. Obviously, he had fought or been beaten. The captain knelt and checked the pulse.

\- "He's alive ..." says the captain. However, a detail caught his attention. Pulling aside the wrecked shirt of the shipwrecked man, he saw on the chest an enormous scratch mark. All looked almost shocked at the size of these marks. Which animal was able to inflict this?

\- "Holy Mother of God ...." murmured one of the shocked sailors, making the sign of the cross. Looking attentively, the captain noticed that the man was firmly holding in the hollow of his hand, a kind of bronze tube and closed with wax. The captain took it from the shipwrecked man ....

\- "AAAAAAAAH! NOOOOOO!" the man in rags suddenly awoke as if he was coming out of a nightmare, and his eyes were exhilarated, screaming in almost tearing his vocal cords and struggling like a madman. All the sailors, including the captain, took a sudden step back.

\- "DO NOT APPROACH!! STAY AWAY FROM ME!!" the man screamed again, looking around with huge fear in his gaze. Then he froze, as if he had an excruciating pain in his chest, trying to breath, and collapsed to the ground. One of the sailors approached and checked the pulse again, but this time his face turned pale.

"He's dead," the sailor said. The captain, like everyone else, did not understand anything what had just happened.

Young John was speechless. He had seen in the eyes of this man. A fear.... A disproportionate fear, but not towards them.... It was as if he had seen the devil and all the demons of hell in person and that they tried to take him with them to hell....

The captain, more than perplexed, decided to open the bronze tube by breaking the wax. Inside the tube was a kind of old parchment rolled and visibly protected from moisture. The captain removed the paper from the tube and unrolled it to see the contents. For a moment, his face froze in an expression of stupor that intrigued all the sailors around him.

\- "What is it, captain?" asked Young John. The captain lowered the parchment and rolled it without showing it to the others.

\- "We have to go back to Corona, now!" They were the only words the captain uttered before turning back to his cabin, hurriedly.

***********

Kingdom of Corona, North Germany

Corona, a small island near the coast of northern Germany, had also become the capital of the kingdom of Germany. Although of modest size, it had become famous from other kingdoms around the world, whose dignitaries and other tourists came very many every year to admire the architecture and culture, and also in the goal to make commercial and political partnerships with them. But the kingdom was also famous for its princess, Rapunzel, whose rumors said she had gold hair of magical origin, which would have been granted by a tear fallen straight from the sun, many years ago and who had the power to heal wounds and give eternal youth.

It was early evening in the capital and already the first lanterns were lit in the streets. At the castle, however, calm would soon be broken when the ship's captain posted more than a month ago to South Africa, entered the throne room, saying it was greater importance. King Frederic, a man of impressive stature, proud face, black hair and a slightly grizzled beard, and his wife, Queen Arianna, a mature woman with green eyes and long brown hair falling on her neck, both stood side by side in the throne room, empty of any presence but their own. The captain arrived and bowed respectfully to them as he should.

\- "Captain, what is so important to tell us that necessitated your return from Africa?" asked the king more than intrigued. The captain understood perfectly and revealed the reason for this hasty return: the famous rolled parchment discovered in the shipwrecked man hands.

\- "My king, my queen .... Off the coast of Africa, we discovered a shipwrecked man who seemed to be deviating for weeks ..." the captain said, "...and in his hand, he was holding this." He handed the parchment to the royal couple. The king took it and immediately unrolled it, curious as to what it could be.

-"Mother? father?" suddenly made a young and feminine voice. The royal couple and the captain turned to see Princess Rapunzel come, in her pink dress with slightly swollen shoulders, and her hair which she had decided to cut and had become brown. At her side was her husband, Flynn Rider, a young athletic man, sometimes too sure of himself, with short brown hair and a small goatee on his chin.

\- "Rapunzel? Flynn? What are you doing here?" asked the queen.

\- "Well, we have heard this rather strange start of conversation and we have decided to come take a look." Flynn said without hiding. Rapunzel nodded. The queen sighed once again at the too curious and adventurous character of the young couple, but after all, she had accepted it. The captain, however, seemed more reluctant to continue.

\- "Maybe we should continue this conversation in your private office, majesty?" asked the captain, but the king did not see the interest.

"My daughter and Flynn have my all my trust, Captain Wagner. If there's a secret to keep, I know they'll never reveal it."

\- "I promise, and you know me, I never betray a promise." said Rapunzel proudly, raising her right hand. Flynn also swore. The captain could not say anything more and agreed. Rapunzel and Flynn then approached while the king unrolled the parchment in plain view. What they saw then impressed them all. The parchment represented a sort of maritime map, as well as black ink coordinates, revealing the location of what appeared to be an island, somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, specifically somewhere in the archipelagos of Polynesia, a vast wilderness and neutral territory, waters and islands almost unexplored, for the few that the few explorers have seen. The King and Queen, as well as Rapunzel and Flynn, all exchanged intrigued, even fascinated glances.

\- "Imagine, majesty ...." said the captain with bright eyes ".... If this card was so well hidden, it's for a good reason .... This unknown island must probably contain resources and treasures, that Corona could discover and declare as his own..... We would become the first kingdom to set foot on this new land."

The idea was interesting, it had to be recognized. Although the queen did not look very excited at the idea, the king was quite different and smiled. He turned to the captain.

"Would it be possible for you, Captain Wagner, to sail to Polynesia?" asked the king, trying to rationalize the thing.

-Majesty, I can, and if you wish, I would do it. We can prepare a crew and leave within a fortnight. "

\- "In this case, you have my agreement." added the king enthusiastically. The captain thanked the king, bowing.

\- "It's decided, I go with them." said Rapunzel suddenly, much to everyone's surprise. The queen stared at her anxiously, as did the king.

\- "It's out of the question, girl." the king said firmly "The place of a princess of Corona is not on board a ship at the other end of the world, but here at the castle."

Rapunzel insisted, but the king made his decision and left, followed by his wife, who looked sorry for her, but in agreement with her husband. The captain having no say on the subject, withdrew quietly. Rapunzel sulked, arms folded and scowling. Flynn came to her.

\- "Pffff ... He continues to treat me like a little girl ...." Rapunzel says. Flynn looked at her with an eye and a malicious smile, then as if nothing had happened, revealed the hand hidden behind his back, and holding the parchment. Rapunzel gave him a complicit look.

\- "Some old habits are tough." Flynn said with a wink. Rapunzel gave him a kiss on the cheek and took the parchment in her hands, looking again at this map and these coordinates. Some strange symbols caught her attention.

\- "What can this mean?" she asked. Flynn shrugged, as puzzled as she. A symbol stood out from the others, and made Rapunzel and Flynn rise in chills. Ink stains, which, if looked carefully, took the form of a kind of screaming ape skull with pointed canines. A gust of wind, almost like a distant roar, suddenly penetrated through the window, surprising the couple, and made the flames flicker from the lanterns hanging on the walls of the hall. Rapunzel and Flynn exchanged the same rather circumspect gaze, and looking at the map again, noticed a detail that gave them more chills: the ink stains forming the skull seemed to have moved, the screaming mouth of the skull seeming to have enlarged, while the ink had flow a little bit, so it was supposed to be dry for a very long time.


	2. Moana of Motunui

7 months later….

Motunui Island, Polynesia

Two years had passed since the return of the heart of Te Fiti in the goddess chest, and life had resumed slowly but surely in the archipelagos of Polynesia. The water of the ocean, crystalline under the rays of the high sun, danced gently with the soft wind. On the island of Motunui, a real paradise of greenery and rocks, life was in full swing and the village prospered as usual.

By this late morning, all the inhabitants are at their daily tasks. Some men and women looked after the plantations and crops around the village, checking the ones that looked good to start harvesting, and seeing those that could not give enough and needed to be replaced. Other people were climbing trees, with surprising agility, and with machetes cutting the coconuts, allowing them to fall into the baskets down up that other people held in their hands and stood ready to catch the fruit. To the wooden huts with foliage roofs, the children were gathered in small groups and followed the teachings of the village elders, telling them the stories and other legends of their people, but also the way forward to become men and women of the tribe, and all this under the supervision of some parents ensuring that no child decides to leave to have fun.

Further away from the village, on the side of the beach and the sea, a young man of thirteen, with semi-long hair and braided behind his neck, stood straight and motionless, water up to his waist and brandished a spear above him. The young man stared at the water around him, without moving an eyelash. He smiled a satisfied smile and a quick but rather clumsy shot, gave a shot in the water, splashing all around him. Emerging from the water while coughing, he noted with disappointment that his spear was carrying no fish. Around him, all the fish had fled.

\- "Raaah, still missed." said the scowling young man.

Sitting on a large rock at the edge of the water, hands on her knees, a young woman watched him with a certain amusement, but without making a mockery of it. This young woman was named Moana. She had a very beautiful face, the tanned skin of her people, brown eyes and long black hair, slightly undulating like waves. She wore a crop top made out of red tapa with a layered style accessorized with seashells along the perimeter. She wears a red sash made from the same material that wraps around her skirt made out of shredded pandanas and layered tapa. Around her neck, a necklace sporting a beautiful blue stone, the one that had contained the heart of Te Fiti during the long journey to cross the ocean. The same necklace that belonged to her grandmother, Gramma Tala, unfortunately deceased but whose spirit reincarnated in a manta ray and continued to make her presence felt and watched over the people of Motunui and especially Moana. For two years now, after rescuing the archipelago from an atrocious end, Moana had become chief of the tribe and took to heart her role of caring for her people.

The young man she watched return on the beach, disappointed and threw his spear on the sand, then sit, sulkily. Moana sighed slightly, smiling and gently shaking her head, then stood up and picked up the spear.

\- "Mareto, what have I told you before?" Moana asked him as a teacher questioning a student. The young man named Mareto sighed.

\- "Patience is one of the major assets of the fisherman."

Moana put her hand on his shoulder. Mareto was a very promising young man whom she had decided to personally take under her wing to prepare him to become a man, but Mareto lacked self-confidence and patience. She wanted to help him and she knew he was doing everything to learn, and that's why she did not want to let him down.

\- "Yes, but it is not because the fish is within your reach that you must immediately seize it. You must give it time to get used to your presence, and you, take the time to study and to know its movements.... Look."

With these words, Moana, spear in hand, went in turn in the water, under the watchful eye of Mareto. By stepping into the water, Moana still felt that same thrill when she touched the ocean. From her adventure to Te Fiti Island, she felt even more connected to this element. The ocean was her friend, as she was his. This connection never stopped surprising her. Having water up to the waist level, Moana set herself motionless, motionless as a statue and the spear over her head, her gaze focused. On the beach, Mareto watched him without making a noise.

Under the crystal clear water, Moana could see the small moving forms of some fish, approaching more and more of her legs, and coming to swim around her. Although they were close, Moana let a few seconds past, watching their comings and goings, the directions they took around her and had already set her sights on those who seemed the least suspicious. A few seconds that seemed an eternity for Mareto passed. Then .... Now! Moana, with a quick movement, plunged his spear into the water, without falling backwards, and raised the point of the spear, having pierced two fish. Mareto was speechless.

Moana, smiling, returned on the warm sand of the beach, the fishes in her hand and gave them with a good heart to the young man.

\- "Did you understand this time?" she asked carefully. Mareto nodded in response, which made the young woman smile.

\- "But, it must be easy for you, Moana ..." said Mareto ... "You are the one who saved our world, who carried the heart of Te Fiti and defeated the demon Te Ka. You are Moana of Motunui. You've become a true legend, like the demigod Maui. "

Moana understood Mareto's fascination with that, and that he thought it was an honor to be the apprentice of the hero who saved the archipelago, but Moana did not see it that way. She had saved the world of course, but being considered a legend made her feel a little uncomfortable. She did not want cults to be created to her glory. All she wanted was to be able to live in peace with her people. She sits next to Mareto to talk to him.

\- "You know, nothing is easy, even for me ..." she said frankly, looking at the ocean with a thoughful eye "... Just like you, I had to learn, to fish, to sail, to become an adult and a leader for our people. I am a human, made of flesh and blood like you, and being a hero or a legend does not change anything. I would even say it's even harder for heroes because they must continually exceed their limits so as not to disappoint those who believe in them ..... destiny wanted me to be so, and I accepted it, but you, Mareto... be also proud of what you are. Whether our names enter the legend or not, it does not matter, because that does not prevent us from existing."

Mareto listened to each word with the greatest attention and could not answer, but could only agree with her. The adventurous and insouciant girl that Moana was before had softened herself, and for good reason. Now she was a leader, she could not allow herself to leave for an adventure in the ocean just for the pleasure. Since she was chief, she understood better the point of view of her father, who had wanted to overprotect her when she was a child, but in a sense, she knew it was for her good. With these new words to ponder, Mareto got up and picked up his spear, then the fishes Moana gave him so kindly.

\- "Moana .... Can I go back to the village?"

The young woman seemed almost emerging from a waking dream and turned to him.

\- "Yes, yes, of course .... We will resume later, I want to stay a little lonely."

Mareto nodded and headed towards the village, leaving Moana alone, sitting on the white sand of the beach, and the ocean stretching out of sight in front and around. Rubbing her arm a little nervously, Moana remembered some memories of her adventure.... Her meeting with Maui ..... the journey through the ocean .... the descent into the world of monsters and the meeting with the giant crab Tamatoa .... and the clash with Te Ka, demon of fire and sick incarnation of the goddess Te Fiti .... Moana smiled at those memories that had changed her life forever .... As for Maui ..... It was almost a year that she did not had not seen again and wondered what had become of him. Sometimes she spent the night observing the sky, hoping to see him in the distance, arriving in his bird-like form.

\- "Moana ...." a familiar, distant voice echoed suddenly from the waves of the ocean. Moana raised her head to the voice she recognized immediately, her face glowing with joy. In front of her, a human and trasparent figure, shining with a crystalline blue, appeared, walking on the water and coming to her with a smile. Moana shed a tear of joy.

\- "Gramma Tala ..." Moana said with her throat tight and came to her. The spirit of Tala hugged her, and Moana did the same. They had not seen each other for several months. Tala being now a spirit of the ocean, she could not stay very long on dry land, but from time to time came to visit her granddaughter whom she loves with all her heart.

\- "I miss you so much, every time ..." Moana said while hugging her. Tala smiled.

\- "I miss you too, but do not forget that I'll never be far from you."

Moana knew it and nodded. After the embrace, the two women sat next to each other on the big rock overlooking the beach and admired the waves of the ocean rolling over the sand. However, Tala guessed that Moana looked worried and decided to break the silence.

\- "Something tells me you're worrying about something, Moana, no?" Tala asked. Moana knew it was useless to hide it, Tala was way too smart for that.

\- "That's ...." Moana started trying to find the words "... I'm worried about Maui, he has not come back for a year."

\- "Oh, you know, the life of a demigod is very busy, you do not have to worry about him, I can assure you that he's fine ..... Tell me more about what you really worry. "

Tala was decidedly very clairvoyant and Moana sighed.

\- "I've been the leader of the tribe for two years now, and despite everything I do, I always feel like I'm not living up to my expectations ... How can I give lessons to Mareto if I doubt of myself without showing it?"

Tala understood better now and put her arm around her shoulder to support her in this moment of doubt.

\- "You're still very young ..." said Tala in a calm voice "... The weight of leadership is not easy to bear, but you, Moana, are strong. You have already proven, and you will prove it again. What matters is not that you succeed at the first blow and at any cost, but that you never stop believing in your goal, even if it seems impossible."

This time it was Moana's turn to listen carefully, which she did. Although she grew up, she would still have to learn too. As her father once said to her, "A wise leader learns to become one, and the wisest of them continue to learn even after learning." Moana agreed with that and kept in her mind what her grandmother had just told her. Tala gave a kiss on her granddaughter's forehead and got up to start heading for the ocean. Moana guessed that Tala was already leaving and joining the other spirits of the ocean. Tala, putting her feet in the water, turned one last time to Moana and laid a hand on her heart.

"Goodbye, Moana, and remember, where your heart goes, I'll go too."

Moana, holding back her tears, also put her hand on her heart as a sign of salvation. Tala disappeared then, her body changing into water and becoming one with the waves, and went away in the form of a magnificent shining manta ray. Moana watched her, until the spirit disappeared on the horizon. Again alone on the huge beach, the warm sand beneath her bare feet, Moana stood for a moment and looked back at the ocean. Feeling both sad at the departure of her grandmother, but also reinforced by what she had told her, the young woman took a deep breath and was ready to return to the village to continue the work with Mareto. But before that, eating something would be welcome, Moana feeling her belly gurgle a bit and having to admit that she was getting hungry. Noon was approaching and nothing better than a good meal to start the afternoon. But as she approached the edge of the first trees along the beach, she heard regular noises nearby. Looking down, she saw Hei Hei, the small, round-eyed, sickly chicken with a certain lack of intelligence trying to peck a pebble. Moana sighed, arms folded, and watching the animal in its peculiar work.

\- "Hei Hei ..... Decidedly, you'll never stop to desesperate me...." she said with a tone of humor. The little chicken looked up at her, making a curious little noise, before resuming what he was doing. Moana rolled her eyes and took Hei Hei in her hands, this one continuing to peck in the air without even realizing it. Moana sometimes wondered how he had managed to follow her during her adventure across the ocean, despite his non-existent intelligence.

But as she was about to leave, something suddenly made her stop. An immense doubt overwhelmed her suddenly. Then, turning to the ocean, she understood why and showed a surprised expression. On the horizon, a large ship with white sails had just appeared, and seemed to be heading for the island. The ship was large and very solid, and did not look like the one used by island tribes. The ship's white sails had a symbol that Moana did not know. A sun with seven waving branches. A sense of curiosity, but also distrust, grabbed Moana as she watched, and could see this unknown ship approaching her island.

-"What does it mean?" Moana said with a bad feeling.

\- "Moana" suddenly said his father's voice. Moana turned to see her father, Tui, a man with a muscular frame, and her mother, Sina, come to her in haste, too, having seen the sails of the strange ship. Moana put Hei Hei on the ground and came to them.

\- "Father, what's going on?" Moana asked with doubt, pointing to the foreign ship. Tui stepped forward, and with a closed face, also showed a form of anxiety, but also anger.

\- "I don't know, but in any case, we must be prepared for any eventuality."


	3. The Meeting

The ship left the kingdom of Corona for seven months now, and all the while, had skirted the African coast, then crossed the Indian Ocean, and passed north of Australia. The trip was very long and tiring for many, but eventually they managed to reach the islands of Polynesia. On board, the atmosphere seemed to be back to solid and the men of the crew began to regain confidence and were eager to finally set foot on land after those long months on the boat. Rapunzel and Flynn were also happy to finally be able to leave the ship, and watched the crew prepare the rowboat that would take a small group to the island to replenish fresh water. However, one man in particular did not show a cheerful face, Captain Wagner, with his dark eyes, left his cabin to see where the preparations were. He glanced sideways at Rapunzel, who pretended nothing and made an innocent face and a rather satisfied smile.

\- "Really, I can not believe that I agreed to take you without the permission of your father the king ..... Do you know what I risk, princess?!" the captain said on the verge of nervous breakdown. Flynn tried to calm him down, but the captain was clearly not in a position to do so. Rapunzel was angry gainst herself at putting him in this situation, but she could not resist this call of adventure. She nevertheless decided to try to reassure Wagner.

\- "Captain, believe me, I'm really sorry. I swear to you that when we get back to Corona, I will take full responsibility and make sure you keep your job."

The captain gave a heavy sigh and leaned on the railing.

\- "It's easy for you to say that .... You are the princess, his only daughter, he will never do you any harm .... But me, I am the perfect scapegoat. At the moment I would be back at the docks, he will have me thrown into prison for the rest of my life!"

\- "The king will never do that ..." Flynn assured him by patting him on the shoulder "...We will talk to him and make him understand that I and Rapunzel are the only ones responsible."

The young princess of Corona nodded in reply to her husband. The captain looked at them both, then, sighing again, agreed to trust them, not without showing the doubts engraved on his face. Rapunzel then turned her attention to this island closer and closer. This natural beauty, surrounded by this water so pure, so crystalline ... It was like discovering paradise .... Rapunzel watched with shining eyes, but suddenly, saw smokes rose from behind the thick layer of trees bordering the beach. The crew noticed it too and the captain stepped forward.

\- "It seems that there is already someone on this island." Rapunzel told him.

\- "Native people, probably...." Wagner answered, without showing the slightest concern "... Nothing to fear, and if they are violent, we have something to calm them down." he pointed and patted the pistol and saber on his belt. Rapunzel did not seem very convinced. the idea of coming to an island and killing the inhabitants made her shudder with horror. Was Wagner really ready to go at this point? Some of his most loyal men seemed to be pistol and knife specialists too. Rapunzel knew that in the past Wagner had been a great military leader of the kingdom and had fought against pirates many times, but that he had also been a slave trader in his youth, and that he had wanted to repent in engaging himself in the Royal Navy...

\- "Captain ..." Flynn remarked "... we are here to discover a new land, not to kill innocent natives."

The captain chuckled amusedly.

\- "Of course, of course ..." he said, patting Flynn's shoulder "... But as captain of this ship, I'm also responsible for your safety. We will stay calm, if the natives do the same, otherwise we will have to act ... But I obviously pray that we do not have to do it ..."

Wagner was reassuring and went to his men to talk to them. Flynn felt unconvinced, suspicious of Wagner. Rapunzel had her hands leaning against the rail and was still watching the fires from the forest. Although she was a little scared, the idea of meeting natives fascinated her as much.

The rowboat was finally launched, with Wagner as expedition leader, Rapunzel and Flynn as royal dignitaries to talk with the natives of the island, and five crewmen, with some weapons, just for the case and hiding them under their jackets.

 

In the village of Motunui, the atmosphere was much more tense and the news of the approach of this foreign ship worried many people. Many had gathered in groups in the huts under the protection of men armed with spears and wooden shields. As chief of the tribe, Moana proposed to go and talk to these strangers, not wanting to start a conflict without first trying to talk. At first reluctant, Tui finally accepted, on the condition of coming with her, and with two armed men. Moana agreed, but made her father promise not to be too hostile to them. Hidden in the shade of the trees, Moana watched, to see the little boat approaching the shore, gently raised by the waves. On board were several white men in uniforms that Moana had never seen before. She also saw this young and beautiful young white woman, with short brown hair, and dressed in that big pink dress, and who gazed at the island with an admiring and dreamy air. Moana found her very beautiful.

Arming with her courage, Moana took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows to the beach, followed by her father and the two warriors assigned to protect them. Wearing her headdress, wearing red feathers, Moana stood upright and confident, although deep inside her, she remained very suspicious. Her father, Tui, by her side, crossed his arms and looked at the strangers with a neutral air, at least in appearance.

When the rowboat rubbed against the sand of the beach, Captain Wagner was the first to land, while the other sailors did the same and take care to pull the boat out of the water, out of reach of the current waves. Flynn got out of the rowboat and as a true gentleman, helped his wife Rapunzel to go down, taking her hand. Rapunzel felt the soft sand under her boots and smiled. But the attention of all fell on the four natives, three men and a woman, who stood a hundred yards away and seemed to be waiting for them. Wagner said nothing and just adjusted his jacket and captain's hat. Rapunzel walked to his side, watching them too.

\- "They do not look dangerous ..." she said a little unsuspecting ... "the young woman is very very beautiful ..." she added, looking at Moana.

\- "Let's still be careful, princess, we never know." Wagner warned in a low voice. With Flynn and Rapunzel, the captain advanced, without any hostile sign, towards the natives. The hundred meters that separated them was quickly reduced, and finally, the two groups were now facing, separated by only two meters away. Rapunzel looked at them with interest, especially the young woman with the face and the magnificent hair, wearing this red feather headdress, who seemed to be the leader. Nobody said a word in the first seconds, and Captain Wagner took the first step, saluting to the natives while pulling his hat.

"Greetings, noble people of this island. I am Captain Wagner, of the Royal Navy of Corona, and here are my distinguished passengers: Prince Flynn Rider, and Princess Rapunzel."

Wagner had spoken politely and without any superior tone. Moana and Tui exchanged a rather puzzled look at the start, then, the young woman lighted her throat and made the first step, hand on heart as a strong and proud sign.

\- "I am Moana of Motunui, leader and guide of the people of Motunui, and here is my father, chief Tui."

She had spoken also without showing hostility. Tui also put his hand on his heart. Visibly it was a sign of greeting. For the moment, everything was fine. Rapunzel and Flynn admired the way in which this young woman named Moana spoke with a force that was felt in her voice, and could be seen in her eyes. Rapunzel was very admiring. Wagner stepped forward again and in good faith, reached for Moana to greet her. Moana looked at this outstretched hand with some perplexity, not understanding what the stranger wanted to do. Wagner found himself a little embarrassed. Moana turned her gaze to the young princess named Rapunzel, who showed her how to do it by signs. Moana seemed to understand, and after some hesitation shook the captain's hand. The first contact between two peoples never having met before. Rapunzel looked relieved and blew.

\- "What are you doing on our island, Captain Wag ... Wagner, is that right?" Moana asked.

\- "Well ...." replied Wagner "... We have undertaken a very long journey from our homeland, and being short of fresh water, we wanted to restock on your island, even if initially we didn't know it was inhabited, of course."

Until then, the captain was doing pretty well, much to the relief of Flynn and Rapunzel. Moana seemed to show understanding and looked at her father. Tui looked very suspicious, but sighed, agreeing to his daughter. Moana smiled.

\- "It will not be said that the people of Motunui do not come to the aid of those who need it. Captain. Prince. Princess. As leader of this island, I authorize you to restock at the fountain. Our men will show you the way, and as a pledge of my good will, I invite you, if you wish, to dine with us in our village, to reassure our people about your intentions, which I hope are peaceful."

Wagner moved slightly to make room for Rapunzel, who bowed respectfully to Moana and made him a big, friendly smile.

\- "Chef Moana, as Princess of Corona, I thank you for your trust and hospitality that we accept with great pleasure."

Moana found her very friendly and returned her smile, but soon became more serious.

\- "But nevertheless, your weapons remain on this boat. No foreign weapon is allowed in the enclosure of our village. This is my only condition."

Rapunzel fully understood the caution of the young chief woman and accepted the condition. Flynn also submitted to it and put his sword in the rowboat. Captain Wagner seemed less inclined to give up his weapons, but after an insistent look from the princess, reluctantly left them. Three of the sailors would come with them while the other two would stay on the beach and keep the boat. Moana assured them that no harm would be done to them during their absence. After leaving their weapons, Rapunzel's group followed Moana and Tui towards the edge of the forest, towards the village which was not far away. Wagner approached Tui a little to talk to him.

\- "My brave man, I wanted to tell you that your daughter seems to be a woman with a strong character."

Tui forced himself a little to smile, visibly uncomfortable with these strangers that his daughter had welcomed a little too easily, to his taste. Further ahead, Rapunzel had approached Moana, and the two young women were now walking side by side under the shadows of the coconut trees. Rapunzel looked around her with admiration at the beauty of this nature. A couple of parrots flew from a tree and flew over them.

\- "It's really beautiful ..." says Rapunzel. Moana appreciated this remark, and for a few seconds had been watching the princess's dress.

\- "I don't know how you do to get all this on you, but I have to tell you, that I find it rather pretty to look at."

Rapunzel almost blushes. She allowed Moana to touch the fabric of her dress, which she did, and seemed to appreciate the texture of the fabric. Walking a few feet behind, Flynn was watching the two young women with a certain feeling of amusement, almost believing seeing two friends that had not seen each other for a very long time.

As agreed, the men of the tribe showed their "guests", the small stream snaking not far from the village, and constantly fed by a small waterfall flowing from a rocky massif and covered with vegetation. While Wagner and Flynn were busy filling the water flasks, Rapunzel admired the new nature around her with such fascination. Flynn, however, did not seem to have the same enthusiasm.

\- "It may be wise to leave immediately after taking the water, the natives do not look so happy to see us."

\- "Bah ..." answered Wagner with the same assurance "... At the slightest signal of distress, the rest of our men will come in force on the island and save us from these savages."

Flynn motioned him to speak lower, and to avoid saying that kind of word. Fortunately, no native seemed to have heard. Rapunzel glared badly at the captain, seeing his way of seeing the people of this tribe. The young woman chief, Moana, came towards them, and did not seem to have heard the conversation.

\- "Did you finish?" she asked always so friendly.

\- "Yes, and again, thank you for your help." Rapunzel told him in all sincerity. Moana's expression changed then and she folded her arms.

\- "Well, in that case, you can tell me the true purpose of your presence in our archipelago."

The tone of her voice was less friendly, they felt it, and they saw in her eyes that she was suspicious. Wagner, Flynn, and Rapunzel exchanged wary glances.

\- "Chief Moana, I do not see what you want to talk about." coughed the captain in a vain attempt. Moana was not fooled and looked at Rapunzel's dress, especially at this little satchel.

\- "Me and my fellows have a gift to see the motivations of people simply by seeing their faces .... And I see that you seem to hold particularly to this parchment in this little bag."

Rapunzel, Flynn, and Wagner did not know how she could have guessed for this parchment, but continuing to hide it seemed useless now. Resigned, the princess took him out of the satchel, much to the chagrin of the captain who wanted to stop him in her gesture.

\- "Princess, no!" said Wagner, raising his voice, but quickly stopped by the spear of a man of the tribe telling him to back off. Wagner took it as a provocation and rebelled, showing himself as friendly month as before. Flynn felt the current rise and did not like that.

\- "How dare you threaten me with your weapon?!"

Moana gestured to the guard to lower his spear.

\- "We are not threatening you, Captain, but please let Princess Rapunzel show me this parchment." Moana clearly says. Holding the parchment rolled between her hands, Rapunzel advanced to Moana, looking at her with a confused look. She took the parchment and handed it to her.

\- "We will tell you, Chief Moana, I promise you."

Moana accepted to trust her.... for now.

**********

Somewhere....

Maui had never been so scared, and had never run so much for his life. He may have been a demi-god, but the situation he was in was critical even for him. No longer having his magic hook, wounded on one side and carrying a bloody slash, he ran, panting and spreading branches and thick foliage in his path, his face dripping with drops and his eyes showing a deep fear. Behind him, approaching more and more, enormous steps and shaking the ground, accompanied by bestial rumblings. As he ran, Maui suddenly stopped, realizing that he had just reached the edge of a dizzying cliff overlooking this seemingly endless jungle. Without his hook, Maui could not turn into a bird and leaping from that height would be assured death. He was trapped. Behind him, the trees were shaking and cracking as the rumblings drew closer to him. Maui thought his end was coming and resigned himself to it.

But suddenly, a gigantic, hairy arm appeared and a huge hand clutched the edge. Then a second. Surprised, Maui stepped back, and bewildered, contemplated a dark and humanoid form rose before him, measuring several tens of meters high. The huge form showed two almost human eyes, showing great strength but also anger, not at Maui, but at what came from the jungle behind him.

\- "Te Fiti ..... Protect me ....." Maui murmured without being able to stop looking at the huge hairy creature that had just appeared, that uttered a loud roar that echoed through the jungle, making fleeing thousands of birds and other animals.


	4. A New Adventure

That night, a strange atmosphere reigned over the village of Motunui. In the huts, everyone had fallen asleep more or less reassured after the departure of the foreigners. However, before their departure, Moana had looked in detail at the mysterious parchment entrusted by Princess Rapunzel, and thus discovered the location of this mysterious island she had never heard of. Moana had sought advice from her father and village elders, but none of them had been able to confirm the existence of this island. For the young chef, that was almost supernatural. Her ancestors were explorers who had traveled the Polynesian archipelago to its best known limits, but no one had ever mentioned an island like this. The strange drawings and writings on the parchment made a strange impression to Moana, like a feeling of embarrassment, even of fear, as if these marks were trying to warn whoever would read them.

Lying on her bench, well under her blanket, Moana was trying to sleep peacefully, but her sleep was stirred by incessant and sinister nightmares. Flashes of scrambled images flashed in her mind, as well as echoes of distant and disturbing voices, speaking in a dialect she did not know ... An island lost in the middle of the ocean, and surrounded by the mist ..... A jungle of dark and impenetrable appearance ..... A rock, worn by time and rain, and having the frightening shape of a skull howling in the dark night.... And that huge ominous shadow standing up like a moving mountain, emitting mighty rumblings making the air tremble, and those two angry reddish-brown eyes looking at her .... "Skull ....... Island .... ... Skull ...... Island ...... " a distant voice echoed, that of her grandmother. Moana recognized her. Maui's voice was also heard, in a cry of distress and fear..."MOANA!!"

Moana awoke with a start, her forehead sweaty and trembling, breathing with difficulty as if someone tried to stifle her in her sleep. Looking all around her, she found that everything was normal. Getting up from her bed, she silently crossed the hut, going to take a look at her parents, who were sleeping peacefully, like to check if they were okay. Feeling unable to sleep again, the young woman, with a flaming torch in her hand, came out of her hut, crossing the sleepy village, and headed for the beach, to walk a little under the moonlight. As she reached the beach, and feeling the cool, soft sand beneath her feet, Moana began to walk, admiring the light of the stars and the moon reflecting on the surface of the sleeping ocean.

A little further on, the foreign ship, on which Princess Rapunzel, Flynn, and Captain Wagner had returned, was also silent, standing like an immense floating shadow in the middle of the water. Moana knew from now on she was their destination, but for what reason? The images of her nightmare kept haunting her, and that made her uncomfortable. The voice of Maui screaming her name, as calling for help ..... This name resonating many times ... Skull Island ..... And especially this huge humanoid form rising from the mist, eyes brown-scarlet showing a unparalleled fury and emitting a powerful growl that no creature on earth would be able to produce. Moana sits thoughtfully on the sand, and sighs a great blow.

_"Have a bad night?" suddenly made a familiar voice. Moana raised her head and saw the spirit of her grandmother, smiling at her, having just appeared at the edge of the water. Moana was happy to see her again and came to her.

_ "I ..... I don’t understand, grandmother .... Maui .... I felt it, he was in danger .... And this name ...."

_ "Skull Island, I know. I told you in your nightmare." pronounced the grandmother. Moana looked surprised but looked down at the horizon of the ocean.

_ "Maui is in this place named Skull Island, is not it?" Moana asked nervously. The grandmother, by her look, made her guess the answer, which the young woman feared. Seeing the distress in her granddaughter's eyes, the grandmother took her hands in hers and smiled at her.

"I can’t, grandmother," said Moana sadly, "I promised to watch over Motunui, to watch over my people."

_ "But only you can save Maui, Moana ... Do you believe that the ocean has chosen you by chance to put the heart of Te Fiti back in its place? No. You've been chosen because you have a duty to the world and your next mission is there, on Skull Island."

_ "But what mission?" Moana asked.

_ "You will discover it when the time comes." replied the grandmother. "But know this: you will encounter new dangers, but also a most unexpected ally."

Moana wondered what she meant by that, but she did not have time to know more. Her grandmother's spirit evaporated into the ocean's water, again transforming into a manta ray that disappeared in the deep waters, under the gaze of Moana, perplexed, but having nevertheless retained the warning. Her gaze landed on the water of the ocean gently caressing the sand. Something caught her attention. Seaweed, brought by the current, formed for a few seconds like a kind of screaming skull before dispersing in the eddies. Moana looked up at the horizon. A sound, like a kind of low growl of a beast, seemed to reach her from the horizon, pulling a shudder down her body. For her, no doubt allowed.... She had to go on that mysterious island and find out what had happened to Maui.

*********

A new day has come up in the village of Motunui, and the villagers are starting their daily day, with the relief of the departure of the foreigners. However, the sadness and worry was on everyone's face, especially Tui and Sina, worrying about seeing their only daughter, Moana, coming towards them, not without a lump in their throat and squeezing them tightly. in her arms. All the same, Tui tried to dissuade her.

_"Moana, please, do not leave, your people need you."

_ "I know, father ..." replied the young woman "... But I know what I saw ... Maui is in danger, and only I can save him .... And then, I must also to assure that these strangers will not commit any serious crime against this island."

He understood and had to accept the character of his daughter, this same character which was also her strength. On the beach, two sailors from Corona's ship were waiting for Moana, a rowboat behind them, waiting to take the young woman aboard the ship where are waiting Rapunzel, Flynn and Captain Wagner. Moana hugged her mother tightly, not without shedding tears.

_ "May the goddess Te Fiti watch over you, my daughter." Sina said, her throat tied with grief.

_"May she watch over you all too." Moana answered with the same sad tone. The young woman was invited to take a seat in the rowboat, which she did, then began to slide on the water towards the ship. Moana looked over her shoulder, seeing her people and the beach slowly move away from her, with great melancholy. She had not left the island for two years now, and had vowed to be always present for her people. But Maui was in danger, she knew it and wanted to save him. In addition, a strange feeling invaded while thinking back to this island .... Skull Island .... She had the feeling that a very important mission awaited her there, as her grandmother had warned her .... While the two sailors were rowing to advance the rowboat, Moana gave a last wave to her parents and her people, as an ultimate goodbye .... This time, no question of going back .... A new adventure was starting.

The boat arrived a few minutes later to the ship, and Moana climbed first the steps of wood leading up. When she reached the top, she saw a familiar man, Prince Flynn, giving her a friendly face and extending his hand to invite her on board. She willingly agreed.

_ "Welcome, Chief Moana." Flynn said to him in a friendly nod. Moana thanked him. Princess Rapunzel also arrived, also delighted to have the presence of the young woman Motunui on board and also saw a certain sadness on her face. She took her hands gently.

_"You are sad to leave your people, and I understand it, but rest assured, you will see them again, and together we will bring proof of the existence of a new earth."

Moana forced herself a little to smile. The discovery of this island was secondary for her. The priority was to save Maui. She looked around with a certain curiosity about the great foreign ship she was in, and was very different from the boats of her people. These great masts, these immense white sails .... All the sailors, about fifty, walked everywhere, all busy with their spots, but sometimes cast curious glances at the young Polynesian woman, wondering what she was coming here. Moana ignored their gazes and continued to look around.

Captain Wagner also arrived on deck, still standing upright and proud in his impeccable captain's dress, and saluted Moana with a slight bow.

_ "Welcome, Moana, it is a pleasure to welcome you as your island ambassador and Corona partner to discover this mysterious island."

_ "Thank you, captain." Moana answered with a slightly embarrassed smile. Something in Captain Wagner did not please her. Already on the island, he had shown, though trying to hide it, a rather haughty behavior towards the people of Motunui. Wagner climbed the wood steps leading to the upper deck and looked through a long view towards the horizon. At his side Rapunzel had kept the old parchment and was watching it with some attention.

_ "In what direction should we go, mylady?" Wagner asked, turning to her.

_ "Cap full east, captain." she confirmed, having looked again at the coordinates on the parchment. Wagner nodded, a proud smile on his lips and shouted his orders to the sailors.

_ "All sails out! Cape to the east! Gentlemen, adventure and glory await us at the end of this journey!"

All the sailors shouted in unison their joy at being part of this discovery which would enter the history of the kingdom of Corona, and began their tasks. Moana watched them at work, some pulling on thick ropes, others climbing on nets on the sides of the ship, to reach the tops of the masts and deploy more white sails. Others posted at the front, went up the anchor by pulling on the chain thanks to a crank of wood. Moana looked at all this with some admiration for the work that was needed to move such a big ship forward. Wagner came to her.

_ "Awesome, huh?" he said, hoping to impress her.

_"I have learned some things about seafaring when I had to cross the ocean, but I must admit I had never seen this before." she answered frankly. Wagner raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

_ "You mean that women also sail in your tribe?"

This time it was Moana who stared at him curiously, wondering why he was asking for this.

_"Of course." she says. To her surprise, Wagner burst out laughing, as if she had said a joke.

_ "Women sailing like sailors .... Decidedly, I would have seen everything." he said, trying to regain his seriousness. As he walked away to continue giving instructions, Moana gave him a rather dark look. Princess Rapunzel joined her, and having seen what was happening, showed her a sorry look.

_ "Sorry Moana, but Captain Wagner is a man who ... well .... has a hard time understanding that the world and some of its habits are beginning to change."

_"It's nothing." the young woman chief replied ignoring the anger inside her against the captain and decided to think of something else. Flynn arrived too, a little confused by the captain's behavior, but invited Moana to follow him.

_ "Come, I'll show you your quarters." he said. Moana did not understand right away, but Rapunzel reassured her by simply saying that he wanted to show where she would sleep. Moana nodded and followed him to the back of the ship. Meanwhile, the Corona ship moved slowly but surely from Motunui Island, heading east and find this new land and what it might contain. Before descending the small staircase leading to the cabins, Moana looked one last time over her shoulder, seeing the horizon and the ocean looming in front of the ship, and with a determined look, murmured something like a message.

_ "I'm coming, Maui ...."


	5. Skull Island

It has been seven days since the great foreign ship embarked on the last leg of its long voyage, with in tis board the leader of the Motunui tribe, Moana, considered as official ambassador for the relations of the tribes of the archipelago with the foreigners of the Kingdom of Corona, but also as a representative of the archipelago for the discovery of this new island bearing the ominous name of Skull Island. At the beginning of the trip, Moana had felt very lonely, isolated, in the midst of all these foreign men, some of whom were looking at her with rather unhealthy attention. Captain Wagner, although polite in appearance, was rather distant and preferred to stay away from his men. Fortunately, Flynn and Princess Rapunzel were there, and had shown themselves as true allies, even friends, to Motunui's young chef, which she greatly appreciated. Rapunzel had been able to tell her story to Moana, when she still possessed golden hair of infinite length and possessing the healing powers of a magic flower born from a tear of sun fallen on earth. Moana had been fascinated by this story, and asked what had caused the princess to cut her hair and give up that power. Rapunzel answered her a very simple thing: to avoid that malicious people would want to use her, as was the case with the mother Gothel. Sometimes such powers, however beautiful and beneficial, should never have fallen into the hands of mortals, which Moana had expressed in full understanding of her point of view.

Night had fallen on the immensity of the ocean, and the ship continued to slide, very slowly, on the dark blue tablecloth, as the gentle breeze caressed the sails. Too nervous to sleep, Moana had come to get a little air and stood leaning on the rail at the front of the ship, alone, and thoughtfully contemplated the surface of the water splitting against the hull of the ship. A quiet silence reigned over this usually noisy ship, teeming with sailors, and the princess of the islands enjoyed the silence with each passing second. As she remained thoughtful, Moana saw, with some surprise, a mound of water rising alone, as if she had a life of her own, and ascended to her. Moana smiled. Apparently, the ocean had never forgotten her and continued to watch over her. Moana reached out her hand and touched the soft water with her fingertips.

_ "My dear friend ...." says Moana "... Do you think I'm making the right choice?"

The ocean having not voice to talk, contented itself with a silence that Moana understood. But the ocean also touched her heart, telling her that she had to trust herself and her own decisions. She was Moana de Motunui, the chosen one of the ocean and savior of the archipelago. As always, Moana could count on the precious support of the ocean and smiled at him.

_ "I must save Maui, but at the same time .... I do not know why, but I feel that something is on this island .... Something old .... And dangerous ... I feel it, but on one side .... I know I have to go."

The ocean nodded, but would not seek to distract the princess from her own path. But suddenly, the ocean returned to its normal state as soon as possible, and Moana quickly guessed why. Behind her, footsteps were heard on the wood of the boat and approaching. One of the ship's sailors, on guard duty for the night, came towards her, looking friendly. He was very young, still a teenager, with blue eyes and short, light brown hair and a little cap on the head. Moana had already seen him several times. It was Tim, the moss of the ship. He was one of the few sailors to having greet Moana with a smile aboard the ship and one of the few who look really friendly. Moana had taken a liking to him.

_"Are you speaking alone?" he asked a little timidly coming to lean on the rail, right next to her. Moana pretended nothing.

_"Somehow .... Speaking alone sometimes helps me to take stock of things, and especially about myself." it was the first thing that came to her mind, even if there was truth in his sentence. Tim seemed to understand and nodded, watching the ocean with a dreamy gaze.

_"I've always loved the ocean and the stories that are told about it ... Do you think these legends can be real? That the ocean can be governed by forces that go beyond common mortals?"

Moana was delighted and surprised by the young sailor's curiosity about the ocean legends and smiled. She who had seen so much that no other had seen before probably, she was the best placed to know the answer. She gently patted Tim's shoulder.

_"For my part, I believe it, but it's up to you to make your own opinion, Tim. I'm sure that this world, all over its surface, has been offered to us by forces much powerful and ancient than anything we can imagine, and it's up to us to respect its laws in order to preserve it." She said with her own conviction. Tim smiled and looked at Moana, who was staring at the ocean. He looked at her ... her long black hair and wavy in the light breeze of the evening .... her beautiful face and her eyes .... When she turned her gaze to him, he made as if nothing had happened and almost blushes. Moana gave a little non-mocking laugh and patted his hand.

_ "Tim, stop dreaming and get back to work." suddenly intervened the less friendly voice of another sailor. Tim immediately obeyed and returned to his post, giving one last friendly glance to Moana before leaving. The other sailor almost shoved Tim forward faster, which inwardly revolted Moana, but what could she do? She had no authority over this foreign ship. Someone else came to the young woman to keep her company. It was the young princess Rapunzel, wrapped in a large silk shawl to protect herself a little from the fresh air of the sea.

_ "Poor Tim ..." says the princess of Corona "... He has been in the Royal Navy for only eight months and despite his willingness to work and do well, the other sailors continue to belittle him constantly."

_ "Why show so much cruelty to him? He is the most helpful sailor of this ship." Moana asked. Rapunzel made her understand that it was not that simple and revealed something about the young moss's past.

_"Tim's father is infamous in the Royal Navy of Corona. He was a very experienced captain, but whose desire to be well seen by the king was such that one day, during a very dangerous expedition, Tim's father did not hesitate to sacrifice all his crew and his ship in order to survive and bring back the coveted loot. Fifty sailors lost their lives due to the fault of one. In the eyes of others, Tim is and will remain the son of him who sacrificed his companions for glory."

Moana had listened, feeling very sorry for Tim. She looked over her shoulder, seeing Tim being entrusted with a broom and cleaning the back of the ship, under the almost contemptuous gaze of the other sailor.

_ "But it's not because his father was so that Tim will be like that too." Moana insisted.

_ "Unfortunately, although I am the princess, as far as the sailors are concerned, it is Captain Wagner who has the last word, and he does not seem to share your opinion. I must also say that Tim's father was a great opponent of Wagner." Rapunzel said. While the young women were chatting, they were suddenly interrupted by the sudden and curious arrival of a thick sheet of mist dripping on the ocean and engulfing the ship in minutes. The view was considerably reduced and the atmosphere became heavier and more disturbing. Moana and Rapunzel looked around her, showing the same puzzled but troubled face.

_ "This haze .... What's going on?" Rapunzel asked.

_"I don't know." Moana replied. During her first quest across the ocean, she had never seen such a phenomenon before. The anxiety was even greater for the two young women when the haze showed the slashed shapes of large black rocks protruding from the ocean, like giant teeth of rock. One of the rocks appeared on the right side of the ship, just in front of the two women, and its shape made them shudder with anguish. An immense skull-like form of roaring monkey skull, and whose furious wind seemed to make it express a powerful roar. Once again, Moana felt in her heart that strange expression she could not explain, that fear and attraction to the unknown.

Ding! Ding! the ship's bell rang, waking the sailors from their sleep, and all climbed onto the upper deck, under the orders of their superior, demanding that they do so as soon as possible. Still half-awed by the awakening awakening, Wagner arrived on the bridge, his hat on his head, accompanied by Flynn, to see the current situation and see the sailors running in all directions in order to prepare. In front of the ship, there appeared other large black rocks emerging from the fog and like a labyrinth of stone teeth was about to engulf the ship in its foggy veil.

_ "Tuck the sails! Prepare yourself for any shocks, gentlemen!" the captain shouted with authority, trying to hide his possible concern. Meanwhile, Flynn had joined Rapunzel and Moana at the front of the ship, and all three were watching with amazement and terror, the huge, dark form of the fog appearing closer and closer ..... a land ..... an island! The wind was getting stronger, as well as the rain and the presence of threatening rocks on the water, as if a real natural barrier was being created to prevent the ship from continuing. The right side of the ship blasted a rock, tearing a small piece of wood to the bow but insufficient to capsize. Splashing through the powerful waves crashing into the ship, Moana brushed off her wet hair and while clinging to a rope, continued gazing at that huge island that had just popped up in front of them like a giant ghost on the ocean. The lightning exploding in the black sky showed the immense shadow of the island, making it even more intimidating.

_ "Skull Island ...." moaned Moana, staring at her, a shudder of fear running down her back. It seemed to her, or maybe in her imagination, to hear a bestial roar among the rumblings of thunder... _ "So, it really exists ...." Rapunzel said, coming to her side, also fascinated and intimidated by this unknown and imposing island not on any known map. Flynn could not say anything, so much was he subjugated by what he saw. On the upper deck, Wagner was also looking, a smile on his lips.

_ "I finally found you .... my hidden treasure." he murmured to himself, his eyes shining with the idea of the riches he could find on this new island.

_"BEWARE!" screamed Tim the moss suddenly, bringing everyone back to reality, but too late. A wave, much larger and more powerful, hit the ship on the side, pushing it towards a big rock which it hit hard at the level of the bow. Part of the bow of the ship was torn off and fell apart. With the shock, some sailors fell into the water. Moana too, was thrown overboard by the shock and under the horrified eyes of Rapunzel and Flynn, disappeared in the black and agitated waters.

_ "MOANA!" shouted Rapunzel and Flynn. Under the water and stunned by the shock, Moana struggled, blinded and lost in the dark water of the ocean. Unable to breathe and rise to the surface, she felt her strength diminish, then sank gently into unconsciousness, convinced that her last hour had come.


	6. Another World

"Moana ...... Moana, can you hear me? ...."

Moana's mind was completely misty and lost. This voice resonated like a distant echo .... She thought to recognize her ..... Was she dead and was her soul already trying to remember memories? She had seen bits of visions .... her island .... her parents .... Maui ..... the peace and tranquility prevailing in the archipelago, but darkened suddenly by a huge shadow and screaming over the ocean and the islands by its imposing stature and reigning terror in the hearts and minds of all .....

Eyes still closed, Moana felt her senses come back little by little, the wind blowing on her face and feeling the cold dry sand under her back. Once again, a feminine and familiar voice spoke to him, worried, urging her to wake up. Moana hardly opened her eyes, feeling her limbs completely numb and painful, to see, after a few seconds to let her vision return to normal, the face of Princess Rapunzel, leaning over her and seeming reassured to see her open the eyes.

_ "Flynn, she's waking up!" Rapunzel warned, raising her head. Alerted by the voice of his wife, the young man came running at once, while Rapunzel helped Moana to get back to her feet, the young woman moaning while her limbs still made her suffer. Rubbing her head, Moana could see the dirty and torn clothes of Flynn and Rapunzel, as well as a little further away, Captain Wagner and several crew members trying to save material brought back by the waves. Moana looked a little more, to see that they were on a large gray sand beach, bordered by what looked like a thick, dark jungle. Hundreds of debris, wooden planks and pieces of cloth had been ejected by the water on the beach. The ship was seen a little further away, broken in two, stranded on a pile of sharp black rocks. She then remembered the impact against the big rock rising above the water, and its fall in the dark waters. She thought she was going to die, but that was not the case. Her head was still hurting her but fortunately she got no serious wounds, just only few scratches.

_ "What .... what happened?" moaned Moana, recovering her strength and spirits.

_"When you fell into the water, the ship hit other rocks and ran aground and it was Tim who plunged into the water and saved your life." Flynn explained to him pointing to the young moss, standing a little further and helping other sailors to collect some still usable material. The young moss appeared to have a slight injury to the thigh.

_"He injured himself against a rock by saving your life, but he did not ask anyone to help him." Rapunzel adds. Moana did not say a word, but after making sure she was able to stand up, went towards Tim, who, seeing her arrive, was relieved to see her standing again.

_ "Mrs. Moana ...." he said, a little timidly, but grimacing because of his thigh injury that blew slightly but did not seem to work out so far. She smiled at him, giving him a little kiss on the cheek.

_"Thank you ..." she said simply, which made the young man blush. However, Moana was worried about Tim's injury.

_ "You should let me watch this wound." she advised, but the moss seemed reluctant, pretending not to suffer, but Moana was not fooled.

_ "Do not worry, ma'am." he said "There are some who have been less fortunate than me, unfortunately." he pointed to a specific spot, and Moana felt her heart tighten with anguish. Several inert bodies, some twenty or so, had been lined up on the sand and white sheets covered them. Moana guessed that these were the sailors who had no luck during the sinking. She was grieved to see some of the sailors leaning over some of the lifeless bodies and looking downcast and saddened. One of the men was crying in front of the body of what was probably one of his friends, while another was trying to comfort him with a friendly pat on the back. Other members of the crew seemed to be wounded, more or less serious. Wagner, Flynn and Rapunzel, they only carried small minor cuts.

_ "AAAAAH! MY LEG! AAAAAAH!" the voice of a screaming sailor was heard, which made Moana jump in surprise. Leaning against a rock and surrounded by several comrades, a sailor screamed in pain, his right leg having been broken against a rock during the sinking. Moana arrived and saw with horror the extent of the wound, the blood flowing and the bone coming out of the flesh. The other sailors were completely panicked, not knowing what to do. Rapunzel and Flynn came to Moana's side, and they also saw the facts. The young leader of Motunui leaned near the wounded man and examined the wound, but was forced to find that unfortunately the wound was already infected. She turned to the others, nonchalantly shaking her head resignedly.

_"There is nothing to do, he will die in a few days." she said darkly, hating herself for having to say something so horrible. Rapunzel was horrified and Flynn took her in his arms, also dismayed by such news. Wagner arrived in his turn, the air less affected by the condition of his sailor.

_ "Is there a way to move him?" he asked Moana, who, to be honest, did not think that moving him in his condition would improve his situation. Seeing her slowly shaking her head in response, the captain seemed to nod in silence, seeming to accept this choice.

_"Very well..." he said calmly, and in front of everyone else's gazes, pulled his pistol from his belt and shot on the injured sailor with a bullet in his head. The sudden detonation surprised everyone, but everyone seemed shocked at the gesture Wagner had just made.

_ "Captain, have you lost your mind?!" shouted Flynn, rebelling while grabbing Wagner by the collar, while Rapunzel remained frozen, hands in front of her mouth. Some sailors, especially Wagner's faithful men, were ready to intervene, but the captain motioned them to stay behind and retreated from Flynn's grip, without showing any regret for what he had just done.

_"I did what I had to do, Mr. Flynn. There is no room for the dead weights in this expedition." Wagner said almost morbidly, putting his pistol back on his belt. Flynn noticed that some of Wagner's sailors had laid their hands on salvaged weapons, as if they were ready to use them. Flynn resigned himself, but glared badly at the captain. However, Wagner was surprised by receiving a punch in the cheek, which made him move back. He then saw Moana, with a bad look, who was rubbing her fist after giving the blow. The men were very surprised to see that.

_ "How dare you hit a captain of the Corona Royal Navy?!" Wagner said in a more threatening tone and rubbing his aching cheek.

_ "And you, how dare you kill a wounded man without giving him a last word or a last wish ?! You have no honor or what ?!" she retorted without holding back. Flynn and Rapunzel joined her. Wagner breathed heavily, pissed off, and stood right in front of her.

_ "And what do you know about honor, you, a savage from the islands?!"

The scorn in Wagner's voice was felt and Moana showed it, remaining strong despite everything but still affected by this remark full of anger.

_"Captain Wagner, shut your mouth, it's an order!" said Princess Rapunzel, appalled by the captain's behavior and coming to support Moana. Seeing her doing, Wagner sighed, resigned.

_"At your orders ... Princess ..." he said in a very reserved, even scornful voice, what Rapunzel felt. Wagner joined his most faithful sailors and set out to collect the weapons and equipment that survived the sinking. Tim was obliged to join them by order of the captain. Meanwhile, Moana, Rapunzel and Flynn turned towards the big jungle and the large rocky mountains a little further away, some of which seemed to touch the sky. Strange and distant noises were heard in the dark depths of this forest that gave chills to the trio. A detail made them shudder even more. At the entrance to the jungle, almost like a warning, was a large rock worn by rain and weather, but shaped like a big screaming skull facing the ocean. It was almost like.....the skull of a ape.... Moana had a bad feeling, but at the same time, she felt that Maui was here, somewhere on this island.

_"All right, gentlemen, get as much material as you can and we'll get going." Captain Wagner suddenly said to his men, who obeyed and began to take materials, especially weapons and tools. Seeing him, circumspect, Rapunzel and Flynn walked towards him.

_ "Captain Wagner, what are you doing?! I have not given any orders." recalled the princess to her captain.

_ "Forgive me, princess, but we have arrived on the island as agreed, so it is our duty to the Corona Kingdom to explore it."

_"Maybe, but try to stay in your place, Captain." Flynn told him firmly, to which Wagner glared at him. Tim, the young moss, would have liked to intervene in favor of the royal couple, but did not dare to contradict his superior, and also feeling the bad looks of the other sailors on him, like silent threats. Moana had stayed further back, continuing to watch this scary skull in the shape of a screaming skull, and listening to the distant sounds coming from the depths of this unwelcoming jungle. Maui ..... where are you? ... She was asking in her mind how hoping to receive a telepathic answer from her demigod friend. Then she could see, joining her friends, that the sailors were already preparing to go exploring.

_ "In your place I would not do that, captain." Moana warned, "We do not know anything about this island that was not even supposed to exist. To go blind as it would make us more vulnerable."

_ "Captain, I quite agree ..." Tim wanted to say, but Wagner cut him coldly.

_ "You have not been asked for your opinion, sailor, and as for you, Chief Moana, know that I am here in the name of his majesty of Corona, and I will not let an unknown land intimidate me."

Moana and Wagner stared at each other, eyes in each other's eyes, each almost trying to defy the other. The captain's ignorance of the unknown and its potential dangers shocked the young woman. How could a man like that be captain of a ship? Faced with Moana's defiant stare, Wagner showed her a haughty little smile and turned to his men, preparing them for the start of the exploration. Tim, carrying a rifle to his shoulder, gave a sorry look to Moana. Motunui's young leader, frustrated, turned to Flynn and Rapunzel, also dismayed by the situation.

_ "You are the princess of your country," said Moana to Rapunzel, "try to make this idiot listen to reason."

_ "Technically, what he says is true, he was commissioned by my father to discover this island, and I'm not supposed to be here, like Flynn. We're stowaways in a way."

Moana sighed heavily and looked one last time at the group of surviving sailors, weapons in hands, preparing to leave for the unknown island. Wagner seemed confident .... Too confident, looking at the island as if he had already conquered it.

_"This imbecile will cause our loss to all ...." added Moana as a final warning.

An hour later, the exploration group had formed and walked for more than half an hour. For more security, they had chosen not to go into the thick, dark jungle, and now walked in the middle of large plains with tall yellow-green grasses, surrounded by tall trees and hills. Wagner walked in front of his men, like a conqueror preparing to lay his flag. The sailors, forty in number, were all armed with rifles and marched well grouped, watching the surroundings attentively. The least wounded could have come, but the most wounded, had been killed without hesitation, under the captain's orders, and to the great annoyance of the royal couple. Tim seemed to be suffering from his injury, but did not show it, clenched his teeth and held his rifle firmly in his hands.

Princess Rapunzel and Flynn, as members of the royal family, walked among the sailors who escorted them, even though they felt more like prisoners than anything else. Moana was walking by their side, she too, feeling almost like a hostage among these armed men. Wagner had full authority, which she did not like at all. While walking, the young woman observed the environment all around the group. The noises coming from the jungle were still going on, and she felt as if watched by pairs of invisible eyes hidden in the darkness of the trees. As the chosen one of the ocean, Moana always had that particular connection to water, but also to the rest of nature. At the bottom of her, she could feel all the majesty of this place that seemed out of time ... But she could also feel a deep ancestral anger, sleeping for a long time and ready to destroy every intruder..... She was convinced now.... They were not welcome here....

But while the group was walking, loud animal sounds were heard, as well as muffled and regular sounds like footsteps. Wagner ordered everyone to stop with a gesture, and they obeyed. Suddenly everyone was frozen in amazement at what was happening. In front of them, about fifty meters, slowly emerging from the jungle and spreading the trees in their path, huge reptilian creatures seeming to come from another world appeared. Quadrupeds, majestic, and looking very powerful, the creatures walked with heavy footsteps, emitting powerful sounds, and crushing the vegetation on their way while ignoring the group of humans who observed them.

The creatures measured nearly ten meters long, four powerful legs supporting a massive and hunchbacked body, a small elongated head. Their backs were dotted with black dorsal plates, and their tails bore four large bony spines.

Amazed, Moana advanced several steps, until reaching Wagner, and looked at these magnificent giant animals. As a precaution, Wagner gestured to his men to be ready to shoot, just in case, which made Moana cringe. Tim and all the other sailors were paralyzed between the stupor and the terror of seeing such creatures, their weapons seeming ridiculous and useless against such giants. These creatures did not look hostile, at least until they were disturbed. Rapunzel had taken Flynn's hand in hers, both unable to turn their eyes away from these creatures. Like Moana, both were fascinated.

_"It's .... It's amazing ....." Rapunzel said as he managed to articulate. Flynn could not say anything, but was in complete agreement with her. Moana says nothing, too fascinated to be able to speak. It reminded her almost the same time she had been in the underwater world of monsters, meeting supernatural creatures, including the giant crab Tamatoa. But this time, these creatures did not seem evil, only animals living peacefully on this land cut off from everything.....Another world.... One of the reptilian creatures, certainly an adult, turned his head slightly towards the humans, looking at them with a neutral air, then, uttering a heavy groan, resumed his walk without caring for them.

_ "Captain, look!" Suddenly warns one of the sailors who had been left behind in a very excited voice. All the attention then turned to him. The man seemed agitated and smiling, and holding something in his hand which he gave to the captain to show him. Everyone opened wide, astonished eyes. It was a kind of medium-sized nugget, made entirely of rock like shiny gemstone.

_ "Where did you find that?" Wagner eagerly asked his sailor, the latter indicating a large brown rock further back, having found the shining rock at the foot of this one. Without waiting, Wagner dismissed everyone in his path and rushed to the edge of the huge brown rock, looking for other gems, but failing to find them, turned to the group of men who carried crates of materials.

_ "Give me that!" Wagner ordered, as if possessed by greed, almost tearing the crate out of the hands of one of the sailors and searching in, under the watchful gaze of all. Moana, she had chosen to ignore the captain, not interested in any ore, but preferring to continue to contemplate the magnificent quadruped giants continuing their slow walk to the other side of the jungle. One of the giants, a smaller and younger, and seemingly curious, had even deviated from his path and approached, nonchalantly and cautiously, and was now only two meters ahead of Moana. The young woman, not feeling threatened, smiling, held out her hand without a sudden gesture to the young giant, who sniffed the hand of this little biped creature he did not know. Moved, Moana let him do it.

Further back, Wagner had searched the box with frenzy, and showing an almost carnivorous smile, found what he was looking for. All the others were rather surprised, even worried, to see him hold a stick of dynamite in his hand.

_ "Captain, what are you ....?" Flynn asked to stop him, but too late, Wagner lit the wick and blocked the dynamite against the rock before running for cover, which everyone did as well.

_"Captain!!" Rapunzel shouted, but too late, Flynn took her with him to keep her as far away as possible. Alerted by the screams, Moana turned to witness, horrified, the powerful explosion of the rock. The detonation made the prairie tremble and the noise provoked an intense fear in the young giant reptile, which flees towards its congeners, also panicked by the explosion. Half blinded by the cloud of dust raised by the explosion, Moana stood up, coughing, to watch with disappointment the giant reptiles, frightened, running into the jungle crushing the trees in their path. Wagner had come out of his hiding place, and seeing the rock smashed into pieces and revealing beneath its surface, other bright gems, some larger than a human head, he was euphorically laughing and brandishing his fist as a sign of victory, in the eyes of all. Seeing the stones, some of the sailors began to shout victory with him. Flynn got up, making sure that Rapunzel had nothing, which was the case, and with a bad look, went to the captain, who this time, exceeded the limits and by far.

_ "Captain Wagner, are you crazy or what? You want our death?!" said the young prince, losing his patience, to which the captain stared at him, still with his satisfied glance at his action.

_ "Thanks to me, Lord Flynn, our kingdom has just found a new land of wealth and power! Corona will only become more powerful, and thanks to us!"

However, a young woman, silent but very angry, pushed the sailors aside, and arriving in front of Wagner, punched him hard in the jaw, which made him fall to the ground. Moana, furious, rubbing her aching fist with the blow, looked at the captain who rubbed his jaw and was helped by one of his men to get up. Furious at being beaten again by her, Wagner went mad, and took his pistol, threatening the young woman. Moana, although surprised by the gesture, did not want to back down and remained distrustful of him. The other sailors took up their weapons. Flynn and Rapunzel wanted to intervene, but the sailors almost blocked them with their rifles. Tim, lost, did not know what to do.

_ "The first time, I was kind to you, but this time, I should execute you on the spot!" Wagner shouted, the barrel of his pistol on Moana, who still did not shrink.

_ "So that's why you came for? Plundering the riches of this island, but you seem to forget that it does not belong to anyone!"

_ "She belongs to the kingdom of Corona!" Wagner said, "And the king will surely decommend me for this discovery and all the things that this island will bring us!"

_ "As a tribal chief and savior of the archipelago, I, Moana of Motunui, declare before you that no one will ever possess this island to destroy it!" Moana declared, unrestrained and with a force that greatly impressed the royal couple and Tim. Seeing the young woman resist him like this, Wagner's anger was even greater and his face turned red, his fist clenched on his weapon. Tension grew high within the group, and many of the sailors seemed ready to use their weapons.

_ "Captain, lower your weapon, it's an order!" Rapunzel ordered, but was ignored by Wagner, who continued to threaten Moana.

_ "You are only an ignorant savage! And your authority has no value for me..... Just like your life ...." he says with undisguised contempt, almost getting ready to start the shot. Moana could see the sparkle of madness in his gaze .... He was going to shoot ....

RRRRROOOOOOOAAAAAARRRR!!

All in the group were suddenly surprised and frozen in fear as they listened to that powerful roar that almost made the valley tremble and scared away the clouds of birds that flew away from the trees. The wind had risen, shaking and shuddering the trees and tall grass. Moana, like all around her, had become silent and felt a shiver run through her body. A silence and a heavy atmosphere had fallen on the great plain. Then .... after a few seconds ..... they felt it, under their feet ..... The ground..... It was shaking, regularly, and thumps ...... like heavy footsteps.....

_"What was that?" Rapunzel asked softly, her voice shaking and huddling against Flynn, who was also worried. Suddenly, a huge boulder seeming to fall from the sky crashed violently near the group, surprising them all and screaming in fear.

_ "What the hell is that?" Wagner shouted with panic.

_ "Oooooh shit!" yelled one of the sailors looking up at the sky, what all did. Other rocks fell towards them quickly and the whole group began to flee in panic, while the rocks, as well as uprooted trees, crashed all around them and raising columns of dust. Three sailors were brutally killed by a tree trunk crashing on them. Wagner and his men fled as quickly as possible, as did Tim, who had chosen to flee with Princess Rapunzel and Flynn, and Moana who had joined them. Rocks and trees fell like rain, crushing other sailors with great violence. Then, as they fled, the group saw a shadow, disproportionate and imposing, gradually covering the plain with its dark cover, as if the night had fallen in a few seconds. Everyone turned around to take a look, the rain of rocks and trees seeming to have stopped, and everyone could only remain paralyzed with terror at what he saw. Some of the sailors were so frightened that they dropped their weapons. Snuggled against each other, Rapunzel and Flynn showed great fear, as did Tim, his legs and arms trembling. Moana, too, was paralyzed, her blood freezing in her veins, her eyes wide with amazement and her heart beating in her chest....

Taller than the highest trees of the jungle, an immense form advanced several steps in the plain, making the whole valley tremble under each footstep ..... A colossal height, thirty meters high ... a humanoid body, massive and robust, covered with a light and dusty brown fur, as well as a multitude of scars on the bare skin .... Two legs and two powerful arms, whose giant hands tightened .. .. And at the top of this titanic body, a giant gorilla head, with a furious look and iris almost like embers, and showing sharp canines in his mouth.... Moana watched him without being able to move, speak, or even think .... This monster seemed all-mighty, invincible and indescribably powerful. Like the others, she felt herself crushed by the mere presence of this creature.... The furtive images of that frightening and roaring head she had seen in the flames.... This skull-shaped rock screaming.... All of this came back in her blurred mind...

The huge biped creature stepped forward one more step, shaking the floor, and emitting deep rumblings and breathing noises, striking his chest hard, before uttering another roar that again made the entire plain shaking, as shook the whole group and the plunged them even more into terror.

RRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRR!!


	7. The Monsters Kingdom

_ "Is that....a....monkey?.... " stammered one of the sailors trembling with fear, although no one could answer him as the terror was present in the minds of all. The group of survivors, numbering just over forty, was now facing a major problem. This thirty-meter-tall creature, looking like a furious and monstrous gorilla, was looking at them now, his eyes burning like hot coals almost judging their souls. It was the impression that Moana had while she remained frozen to contemplate the creature. Once again, it reminded her almost the time she had faced Tamatoa, but this giant gorilla looked even stronger and terrifying.

_ "M ... Moana ......" Rapunzel stuttered, not daring to move. Still staring at the monster, Motunui's girl motioned for them to remain calm.

_ "Do not do ..... sudden movements ....." she said in a low voice, while starting to move very slowly backwards. Flynn, Rapunzel and Tim did the same. But as they retreated, the dark gaze of the giant gorilla sneaked up to them, and he gave a low growl, as if he had anticipated their movement in advance. Moana and her friends dared not move. Nonchalantly, the giant gorilla begins to walk in their direction, making the earth tremble again under its huge feet. Terror grew in everyone's hearts when they saw him doing it. Flynn stood before Rapunzel as a human shield, though in the face of such a monster, it would be rather useless. But as the giant approached, Moana noticed something: on one of his shoulders, the gorilla wore a fairly large wound, like a kind of giant scratch. Now standing a dozen meters ahead of them, the monster growled ferociously and held out his hand as if to grasp them, to their utmost fear.

BOOM! A stick of dynamite had been thrown and exploded on the hand of the giant gorilla, which, surprised, roared furiously and with some pain as it recoiled and looking at his hand slightly injured by the explosion. Surprised as well, Moana and her group turned to see Wagner and his men, preparing other dynamite sticks and preparing their rifles.

_ "Wagner, damn it, what are you doing?!" Flynn shouted.

_ "Courage, brave sailors, kill this abomination, in the name of Corona!" Wagner shouted, ignoring Flynn. Although frightened, the sailors obeyed and fired. Shots and bullets fired, striking the forearm and torso of the giant gorilla, which seemed more uncomfortable than suffering the projectiles, and roared angrily again. Seeing the giant monster go crazy furious under the incessant shots, Moana grabbed Rapunzel by the hand and ran towards the jungle, screaming at Flynn and Tim to follow them.

_ "RUN!!"

Ignoring Moana's group fleeing, the giant gorilla leaps towards Wagner and his sailors to confront them. He swept in front of him with one of his arms, hitting three sailors and throwing them into the air like dolls of rags. In the momentum, he violently crushed another sailor under one of his feet, reducing him into a bloody mess of crushed bones and flesh. Undergoing the first losses, the group of sailors began to retreat, continuing to fire at will, under the orders of Wagner, who also shot with his pistol, although the many projectiles did not really seem to affect the monster. The gorilla, still protecting himself with his arms from his many annoying shots, continued his violent assault, catching a sailor in his hand and throwing him into the air. While fleeing, arriving at the edge of the jungle, Moana's group saw with horror the sailor thrown crashing against a tree trunk right in front of them, and the body falling to the ground, broken in two and the blood spilling over the vegetation. Horrified, Rapunzel had to look away, just like Flynn and Tim.

Moana, also disturbed by what she saw, turned around, eyes wide and speechless, again contemplating the great primate, continuing to roar with rage while killing one by one the men of Wagner. But as he continued his slaughter, the giant monkey had a moment's pause, turning his brutal gaze towards Moana, who immediately felt himself crushed by that look .... She was sure he was looking at her. She could feel her heart beating so hard that it could spring from her chest ... But the rifle shots brought the giant gorilla back to the fight, and with his fist crushed two other sailors like insects.

_ "Retreat to the jungle!!" Wagner shouted, starting to run backwards, noticing that it was useless to fight this thing in open ground. Moana saw Wagner and his men flee in a direction opposite to his group, still pursued by the giant monster not decided to let them escape so easily. Some sailors even gave up their weapons to run faster. _ "Moana, come on, quickly!" Tim told her further behind her. As if returning to reality, the young woman nodded and followed him, returning to Rapunzel and Flynn who were waiting for them further, and the small group moved away into the jungle, pursued by the powerful echoes and more and more distant from the shouts of the sailors and roars of the monster.

One hour later.....

PAF! Flynn stepped back a few steps, leaning against a rock wall covered with climbing plants and rubbed his aching jaw and half stunned by the blow.

_ "Moana, please ... I beg you, stop ..." Rapunzel pleaded, positioning herself in front of her husband and with her hands, suggesting to her friend to calm down a little. Moana looked at them, looking angry, and rubbing her aching fist with the blow she had given. Tim was standing behind, rather circumspect. Flynn stood up, not seeming to show anger at Moana, but more of the surprise.

_ "It's time to give me explanations, Princess," Moana said in a tone much less friendly and more pressing. "Tell me the truth, did you know ..... about this thing?!"

_ "I swear you no ..." Rapunzel swore "... We did not know anything about this island, just like you. We only thought, with this parchment, to make a great discovery: the last land still unexplored by humans."

Moana still looked suspicious and continued.

_ "And for precious gems, then?" Wagner seemed to know that this island contained natural riches."

_ "From that too, we were not aware." Flynn intervened, "Wagner's reaction is incomprehensible ...."

_ "Anyway, this captain never had clear ideas ..." Tim commented knowingly, while checking the ammunition of his rifle. Seeing Moana still mistrustful, Rapunzel sighed and approaching, gently took her hands in hers.

_ "Listen, Moana... I know that we are foreigners who have come to your territory, but I promise you, on my honor as Princess of Corona, that we never intended to plunder this island. We wanted to discover it, to explore it, to discover its environment and who knows, to make it a potential land of welcome for the oppressed peoples ... A second chance land, as it is currently done with this new land recently discovered and named America."

Moana did not know what Rapunzel meant by this second chance land called America, but she could see in the look and feel in the voice that the young foreign princess was telling the truth and wanted to show it. Moana calmed herself, accepting to give her a chance, and sat on a rock to regain her senses.

_ "It was not your captain's opinion, apparently ..." she added. Flynn and Rapunzel looked at each other, recognizing that she was right.

_ "Captain Wagner, however, has received clear orders, and his attitude is tantamount to betrayal." said the Princess of Corona, to which Flynn agreed with her. While the royal couple were discussing about Wagner's possible betrayal, and Tim was watching around, his rifle in his hand, Moana took a few moments to think and looked. All around the little group was now the lush jungle and stirred many noises. The heat and humidity was very palpable, causing sweat on the skin. Mosquitoes, larger than usual, fluttered noisily around them, and they had to hunt them away with their hands. This jungle seemed much more hostile than those of the other islands of the archipelago, which did not reassure the young tribal woman. She also thought back to the moment when this monstrous giant gorilla had stared at her in the eyes.... She could have felt the anger, the rage that animated him .... But it was not the fury of a simple animal.... This thing, whatever it was, was much more than that.... These eyes of embers remained permanently in her mind, which made her shudder with anguish .... But she had to resign herself, having to do what it takes to allow her group to survive and leave this cursed island ....

_ "We have to get out of this jungle and reach the coast." she said, getting up from her rock, drawing the attention of the others.

_ "How are we going to do? This jungle looks endless and we are completely lost." said Tim, a little too defeatist to the taste of the young woman.

_ "Not necessarily," Moana replies, "We have to find a watercourse and once that's done, follow the flow, that will take us all the way to the coast."

_ "What do we do for Wagner and his men?" Rapunzel asked.

_ "Your concern is laudable, princess, but we must first think of our own survival." Moana told him rather harshly but precisely. The rest of the group agreed and they immediately started, Moana in the lead, through the thick dark jungle.

Meanwhile....

In another part of the island, situated on the heights of a rocky plateau overlooking part of the jungle, Wagner was sitting on a rock, his clothes dirty and soaked, looking exhausted and angry, holding his pistol and his sword in his hands. Around him, his surviving men, too, were gaining strength, though some seemed shocked for life by what they had seen. On the forty sailors, nineteen were still alive after the attack of the giant gorilla. They had managed to run away from him through the jungle, but at the cost of heavy losses, many of the sailors were devoured alive by monstrous crocodiles as they crossed a river and another sailor was swept away by a huge black panther.

His head bent over his arms and his hands, Wagner remained silent and dark, but in the irises of his eyes shone a very special spark, which finally set fire to a desire arising in him... that of vengeance.

_ "Get up, gentlemen .... We have to go." he said, recovering himself on his feet and putting away his weapons.

_ "Where's that, captain?" asked one of his lieutenants. At this answer Wagner took a rifle in his hand and threw it into the hands of the man.

_ "We're looking for this giant macaque and finish him." Wagner said decidedly. At these words, the sailors seemed perplexed, but one of them intervened.

_ "But.... Captain, what about the princess, and the prince?"

_ "We must first think about our own survival, sailor ..." he said him very clearly after a brief icy silence. The sailors obeyed anyway, with the exception of one of them who, crunching nervously, began to scream.

_ "No!! Fuck no!! I refuse to come! Did you see what this monster did to our comrades? He slaughtered them like insects! Nothing can be done against such a ...."

A shot rang out suddenly and the panicked sailor collapsed backwards, a bullet between his eyes. The other men turned to Wagner, who stood with the pistol still smoking in his hand, and showed no remorse at what he had done.

_ "Other candidates for desertion?" he simply asked, pulling the hammer back again for a new potential shot. Silence was made among men during long seconds.

_"Good." Wagner added, sheathing his pistol at his belt. "Let's go, gentlemen."

The captain led the march, followed by his men, who had become very quiet and obedient.

Meanwhile.....

The Moana group had walked for more than half an hour in the jungle, without finding any small stream. As they were walking, heat and humidity were not the only problem. The mosquitoes, big and aggressive, were a real annoyment, and Tim, in walking in a pool of stagnant water, had to get rid of a big leech that had stuck to his boot and had begun to pierce the leather to reach his foot. Snakes, poisonous lizards and other creatures were also present on the ground and in the trees of this jungle, and the small group had to constantly watch or set foot. Usually walking barefoot, Moana had made rudimentary sandals from leaves and branches of reed. Rapunzel had chosen to tear her dress to better free her legs and run faster if necessary. Tim, rifle in hand, and Flynn, a hunting knife in hand, remained alert at the slightest sound too close to them. A group of screaming little monkeys passing from branches to branches above them made them jump.

_ "Fucking jungle ..." Flynn sighed heavily, rubbing his sweaty forehead. Rapunzel tapped his shoulder to support him. The group continued to walk, and a hundred yards away, passed near a very large pool of dark water in the middle of which stood a large gray rock covered with aquatic plants. This pond not being connected to a watercourse, the group prepared to continue, but suddenly the big rock seemed to move very slowly and emerged. In fact, the large rock was the hunchbacked back of a imposant buffalo, with huge horns, a gray furr dripping with water and watching with a neutral look the group of humans while noisily munching aquatic plants in his mouth. Taken by surprise, Tim had prepared his rifle to shoot, but Moana put her hand on the barrel, telling the young moss to lower his gun and not make any sudden gestures. Tim obeyed and retreated slowly. The big buffalo, nearly four meters tall, continued to chew calmly and uttered loud moans. Seeing that this animal did not feel threatened by their presence, Moana was relieved and again fascinated by the fauna of this island, watched it without moving. Flynn saw Rapunzel, also fascinated by this creature, take her little painting that she kept in her bag and began to paint a kind of portrait of the animal, as a kind of proof. Although very dangerous, this island also contained magnificent creatures, Moana had to recognize it. After a few minutes of observation, the giant buffalo moaned softly and in the greatest calm retreated back into the pond and plunged his head and half of his body, revealing again only his back like a rock. The group decided to leave him alone and started walking again.

Later.....

Two hours had passed, and even though they had not managed to find a watercourse, Moana and his group had managed to get out of the thick jungle alive and was now at another edge, in front of a more open space grassy expanses surrounded by hills and steep cliffs. The end of the day was near and it was out of the question for the group to walk at night in the middle of this island infested with giant predators. Having found a secluded spot between rocks at the edge of the jungle, they decided to camp. Flynn and Rapunzel had been busy making a small fire for heat because the air was getting colder as dusk approached, while Tim continued his role as sentry. Hearing the disturbing sounds of the jungle and approaching the night, Rapunzel felt her hands tremble and clumsily dropped the pieces of wood she was holding.

_ "Hey, are you okay?" Flynn asked, having noticed and worried about his beloved.

_ "It's ... It's just that .... Excuse me, I had a moment of panic, but it's nothing ..." her voice was shaking. She was afraid. Flynn smiled and kissed her forehead, looking into her eyes and taking her face in her hands.

_ "You do not have to apologize .... The one who would not be afraid of this place would be an idiot or a madman."

Rapunzel smiled, but with fear came guilt too, and she could not keep tears from running down her thin cheeks.

_ "We should never have come here .... If only I had been more careful .... I beg your pardon ...."

Seeing her cry, Flynn hugged her gently.

_ "It's not your fault, I forbid you to say that ..... We'll get by, you'll see ..." he tells her to comfort her, swearing himself to get her out of this hell.

A little further, but out of sight of the camp, Moana went fishing for some fish at the edge of a large lake she had discovered, located between several large green cliffs. Holding four beautiful fish, the young woman, satisfied, was ready to return to the camp before night fall, but suddenly, she felt it .... The earth was shaking again, at a steady pace .... Her heart froze again, and that's when he appeared....

Arriving between two cliffs with an assured and nonchalant step, the giant gorilla stepped forward, the water of the lake reaching him to the knees, and being looked rather around him. Terrified but making no noise, Moana hid quickly behind a rock, but still casting a discreet glance. The monster was a hundred yards away, but did not seem to notice her. It was the same monster, she was sure of it. Her heart was pounding, her blood was almost shaking in her veins, and again she could not look away from this majestic and terrifying giant. His excessive size never ceased to surprise her, as his manner of standing, straight and powerful, like a king pacing up and down his vast and prosperous kingdom.

The giant gorilla emitted heavy breathing noises, a few light grunts, and looked around him as he watched his territory. His attention fell on his injured shoulder, which he touched with the tips of his big fingers to see the blood that covered them, with a look a little painful, as if touching the wound was annoying. Crouching in the water, the monster also looked at his hand, slightly burned by the dynamite he had received. Faced with these wounds, the monster showed a darker, more serious face. Moana remained silent, watching him do. Then she saw something that fascinated her.

The giant gorilla had changed its behavior after looking at its wounds and was now looking at its own reflection in the lake water, then with the fingertip, touching the surface of the water, making it shudder and distorting its reflection. The monster's face became thoughtful, almost sad even, just like the slight rumblings it emitted. Then he raised his head to gaze at the sky, especially the red sun that lay on the horizon. Moana saw him doing, and surprising herself, felt almost a pinch in the heart for this creature. She saw him well. He looked melancholy ..... alone.....

Breathing heavily, the gorilla groaned and leaned toward the water, dipped his hand to lift a huge amount of water in his palm, to bring it to his mouth and began to drink sips impressive, but that for him was normal. He repeated the process, two or three times, unaware that Moana was still watching him from her hiding place. But as he drank, the giant gorilla changed his attitude, raising his head and grunting angrily as he looked around. Moana shuddered. Had he felt his presence?

Suddenly, a shape of ten meters long stealthily leaps from one of the surrounding cliffs and the giant gorilla, alert, suddenly grabbed it by the throat before it reached him. Moana could observe in horror this other creature that looked like a large gray lizard, without hind legs but two crooked front legs, a whip tail, a thin, elongated head almost like a lizard's skull, and jangling its jaws with frenzy . The giant gorilla roared with fury and violently crushed the head of the giant reptile in the lake water, before beating it violently in the belly with his fist. The lizard bit him on the wrist, making the gorilla roaring with pain. The lizard circled his agile tail around one of the legs of the gorilla, trying to make him lose his balance, while with his clawed paws, gave several claws on the monkey's torso, struggling to remove the jaw of the reptile of his wrist. Hidden, Moana stared in amazement at the violent battle of giants, the two creatures raising clouds of water and shaking the ground in their struggle. But the gorilla managed to free, blocking the body of the reptile under one of its feet, and forced the reptile's jaw to open beyond its limits and broke it in two extremely violently, the bone of the jaw emerging from the bloody flesh. The reptile collapsed loudly in the water, dead, as the giant gorilla straightened up, victorious, hitting his chest with his fists and uttering a loud roar that echoed across the island.

Moana did not dare to come out of her hiding place and saw the giant gorilla take the corpse of the giant reptile by the tail and start dragging it behind him, maybe to make it his meal? But before leaving, the gorilla stopped for a moment, then slowly looked over his shoulder. Moana froze. He was looking at her again, she felt him. But this time, the gorilla did not become aggressive and blowing loudly, resumed walking with the corpse of the lizard with him. Moana was confused ...... Did he know she was there from the beginning? And if so ... why had he spared her?


	8. Kong

The night had now fallen on the island, rendering the surroundings far less reassuring than during the day, and announcing the awakening of the nocturnal creatures. Wagner and his men continued to walk among the trees and dense vegetation, the captain did not allow a stop, although several men suggested it. Wagner had no need to rest, dominated by his desire for revenge for that great ape who had slaughtered his sailors and humiliated him by forcing him to retreat. He was going to show this monster that the humans are superior in every aspect and that he would come out victorious.

Wagner walked in front, cutting in front of him the too bushy plants with his sword. Not once had he thought of Princess Rapunzel and Prince Flynn, too much focused on his personal vengeance. Behind him, walking in a group, his men showed less of their emotions, most of them very tired, and others too frightened by the night and the lugubrious atmosphere of this jungle all around them. They had the impression that hundreds of invisible eyes, hidden in the shadows, watched them. The sounds of the jungle and the cries of nocturnal animals were not there to reassure them. A few hours ago, the group had lost other men, two of them having been carried away in the darkness by a furtive creature looking like a giant saber-toothed panther, and another had disappeared in a few seconds in quicksand that seemed almost alive. But still, to the dismay of his men, Captain Wagner had not really shown himself touched by these new losses of men. He seemed to be possessed by an inner demon, telling him to find the giant monkey at any cost and kill him, even if for that he should cross the whole island and lose all the rest of his men. _ "Where are you, you bastard?!" murmured Wagner in his dark, determined voice, looking intently before him and tightening his hand on his weapon, eager to make use of it.

***********

Meanwhile, somewhere towards the center of the island, was a large mountain, thicker and massive than the others, surrounded by the jungle and some large freshwater lakes fed by the ocean. The sharp mountain of rock looked like a giant and scary skull of rock, whose giant empty eyes gazed at the whole island without anything escaping them. One of its giant stone orbits was actually a huge cavern, serving as a hideout for the giant monkey, who, sitting peacefully on the ground, had finished devouring the corpse of the giant lizard he had killed at the lake, and while digesting his meal, was contemplating the night sky and the stars, and seemed curious to see a shooting star appear and disappear in the sky.

Giving a slight thoughtful groan, the giant monkey leaned back against the wall of the cave, and with his giant hand tore off a huge climbing root along the wall next to him, and began gently twisting it between his teeth, by continuing to observe the stars with his curious gaze. However, the giant monkey was thoughtful. He was still very angry with these human intruders who had dared to damage his territory, but above that, he was also thinking of this young woman with long, wavy black hair and tanned skin.... He even thought he heard one of the humans say her name during the fight ..... Moana ..... Her name was Moana? ..... He had noticed her at the lake, when he had killed the giant lizard. Without understanding why, he did not see her as a threat. He had felt it, deep in him ... This young woman, this Moana .... She has a strength in her, a unique gift that connects her to the forces of nature, and in a sense, connects her to him, the protector of this island .... The giant monkey continued to chew its root, unable to find a clear answer to his thoughts ... His eyes again showed a look almost sad, alone, and he looked thoughtfully one of his hands, emitting a deep and heavy growling sigh, but appeared frowning, growling a little, and seemed to want to think of something else. A gentle wind suddenly rose around the great monkey, making the leaves of the few climbing plants of the cave dance and shudder. The giant monkey felt the wind coming to touch his body and face, gently shaking his brown fur. His gaze changed again, and raising his head, he seemed to have felt a presence in the wind around him ..... An invisible presence, but friendly ..... a very powerful and familiar presence .... In the air, the echo of a distant voice, feminine and sweet was suddenly heard, pronouncing a name.....

"Kong ..... you have to protect her ..... protect Moana.... do it for me, my old friend ...."

As he listened to that voice he seemed to know, the giant monkey remained calm, seeing around him the hundreds of dormant buds of climbing plants slowly open and releasing thousands of pollen grains flying and floating in the air as the wind slowly fades, leaving Kong to his thoughts. He let one of the golden grains slowly fall back into the palm of his giant hand, staring at it for a few moments, and watched him fly away again.

***********

Meanwhile, in another part of the island, at the edge of the jungle and sheltered in the middle of a group of large rocks, Moana and his small group had gathered around a good fire, to warm up against the icy frost of the night, rather surprising for a tropical island, but also to cook the good fish that Moana had fished. She had told the others that she had seen the giant monkey at the lake again, but reassured them that he had left without worrying about her by noticing her. Despite the anguish and stress of the night and the many sounds of animals being heard in the distance, the group managed to eat and regain strength. After eating his fish, Tim leaned back gently against a rock, sighing with joy as he patted his belly.

_ "A good fish, there is nothing better to cheer up a man ..." he said with a smile. The others exchanged a little laugh with him, to relax the atmosphere. Nevertheless, the young moss had kept his rifle nearby, in case of attack of a wild creature. Rapunzel and Flynn, sitting side by side on a rock, finished eating their fish, also finding the meal quite delicious, although having to eat it by holding them on sticks, and also being obliged to remove the many bones of fishes bodies. Having also finished eating, Moana sat facing them, her face slightly downcast and looking thoughtfully at the dancing flames of fire in front of her.

Without knowing why, she could not stop thinking about this giant and powerful monkey, her fiery gaze having met hers at their second meeting, at the lake. She could have felt all that power and all that anger crushing her from those fiery irises. So many questions arose in the young woman's mind ..... Why had he spared her? What could this creature be? What is his role on this island? And why this strange feeling of special connection with him? She could not find the answer....

But as she pondered some kind of response, Moana felt the cool but gentle wind at her side caress her hair and back, and shivered in surprise as she heard a faint echo of female voices whispering in her ears. ...

"Moana ..... Kong is in great danger ..... You have to save him ...."

Moana glanced furtively over her shoulder, but saw nothing except the edge of the sleeping jungle, but still scary. The wind had stopped as fast as it arrived.

_ "Moana, are you all right?" Tim asked, seeing her like this. She turned to him and pretended to smile.

_ "Yes, I thought I heard a noise, but it was just the wind." she said, like a little lie. She did not want to worry them more than they are. Kong? This name resonated in her mind with power. Was it the name of this giant monkey? Very probable. It could not be a coincidence. And who owned this feminine voice floating in the wind like an echo far away? Moana was even more puzzled than before, rubbing her neck tiredly. She might have thought about going crazy and hearing voices, but on this island, the supernatural seemed to be the everyday here, so she was sure of nothing. Trying to think of something else so as not to have a migraine, Moana turned to Flynn and Rapunzel who had finished their meal and was also watching the fire, holding hands, the princess leaning her head against the shoulder of her husband.

_ "Tell me, Princess Rapunzel ...... Forgive my curiosity, but .... How did you met Mr. Flynn?" Moana asked to start a discussion, but being also curious. Not being bothered at all by the question of their friend, it was Rapunzel who proposed to speak first.

_ "Let's say that I lived the first years believing that I was someone else. I was kidnapped by a horrible woman, Gothel, who pretended to be my real mother and who took me while I was a baby to keep me in an isolated tower."

Moana seemed more than shocked by this beginning of story.

_ "But why would she do that?" asked the young woman from Motunui. Tim also listened attentively. Rapunzel continued.

_ "I was born with golden long hair, which I obtained from birth, and whose healing powers were unrivaled.Gothel was a vain woman, who used my power to preserve her eternal youth and live forever. Until I was 18, I remained locked in my tower, without knowing or seeing the world, Gothel having persuaded me all my life that the outside world was a place of nightmare and danger."

18 years! Moana had trouble conceiving it. So many years to stay locked up in the same place, without feeling the natural look on her face, nor to see the ocean, nor the other wonders that this cruel world had yet to offer. Moana felt really sorry for the princess of Corona. This woman, Gothel, had really stolen her childhood. Seeing Rapunzel become a little melancholy by thinking of those painful memories, Flynn put his arm around her shoulder, comforting her by giving her a kiss on her forehead. She snuggles against him with love. It was Flynn who this time spoke.

_ "As for me, well, even though I'm not very proud of it, I was a thief and an opportunist, not hesitating to cheat and betray the promises I made. My only purpose: to survive and make a lot of money. One day, after a robbery, I was forced to take refuge in the forest, and after a chase with the royal guards, I stumbled into a small hidden valley and in front of the isolated tower. I took refuge there thinking it would be a good hiding place, and that's where I met the woman of my life." he recounted, while looking lovingly at Rapunzel, who smiled at him. Moana smiled too.

_ "And the first thing I did when I saw him coming into my tower was knocking him out from behind with a frying pan, and tying him to a chair with my hair." Rapunzel told, unable to restrain herself from laughing a little. Moana and Tim were surprised, but not shocked, rather amused by the situation. Flynn shook his head nonchalantly, sighing, but still smiling. He gently rubbed the back of the skull.

_ "Besides, I think I still have the hump." he added, touching his head. The small group shared a collective laughter following this story. Moana was touched by the way they met each other. A thief and a princess. Fate had decidedly funny ideas at times, but that was what made all the surprise of this world. After telling them about their meeting, Rapunzel and Flynn turned to Moana.

_ "And you, Moana ..." asked Flynn "... Far be it from me to sound offensive, but you look very young to be the leader of your tribe. Your father did not seem to be very old. Why did he leave you his status?"

Moana was not offended. She understood the curiosity of her friends and decided to tell. Tim was always attentive.

_ "To begin with, I've always been drawn to the ocean. I always felt a special bond, as if she and I were one. In my tribe, a very old legend said that Maui, the demigod of the sea, had stolen the heart of Te Fiti, the goddess at the origin of all life. In taking the heart of life, darkness and death began to spread little by little across the archipelago, destroying all life and condemning the islands, one after another, to a slow agony. My grandmother told me that one day, a person would cross the ocean, find Maui and force him to restore the heart to the goddess before it's too late ...... And it was me that the ocean chose for this mission ..."

Around the fire, everyone listened to the young woman told with the greatest silence. Rapunzel's eyes shone with fascination at what she heard, like a child hearing the story of her favorite hero.

_ "But my father was against the idea that I could cross the reef, telling me that the big ocean was too dangerous. But after my grandmother's death, I made my decision: I took a boat, and after a long journey through the ocean, where many times I almost lost my life, me and Maui, eager to redeem with the gods, together we could restore the heart to Te Fiti and allow the balance to came back to life. As a result, Te Fiti gave me her blessing, and so, on my return to Motunui, my father, seeing that I had grown and matured, decided to make me the new leader of the tribe."

Although appearing most fanciful, Rapunzel, Flynn and Tim believed Moana. After all, after a golden-haired princess, an island filled with giant creatures and dominated by a giant monkey, the story of a young woman linked to the ocean and receiving the blessing of a goddess seemed very real. For Rapunzel, it also made her think about the royal family of a kingdom allied with her own, Arendelle, whose eldest daughter, Elsa, possessed, according to the words, the power to create and control the ice. Since the discovery of this island, the proof was well and truly made that the man, despite all his power, knew nothing about this world and its balance. Seeing Tim warming up by the fire, Moana also wanted him to express himself and not feel sidelined.

_ "And you, Tim, tell us your story."

The young moss blushed shyly, embarrassed.

_ "After what you said, my life will seem really banal."

_ "That's wrong ..." Rapunzel told him to reassure him "... there is no need for magic or adventures to become someone. Your life is yours, and it belong that you do what you want, not for others, but for yourself."

Moana totally agreed with the princess, just like Flynn. Seeing them insist, Tim accepted and leaned against the rock behind him.

_ "I never knew who were my real parents. I grew up in the first years of my life in a shabby orphanage until I was five years old until I was thrown into the street by the owner, who hated me for no reason. For years, I lived in the streets, steeling to feed myself, sleeping where I could, and one day, when I was thirteen, I introduced myself in the hold of a merchant ship to steal supplies. I was spotted and caught by the sailors who started beating me, while they were ready to throw me in the water to drown me. But the Captain of the ship stepped in. It was the captain of the Royal Navy who later, having pity on me, decided to consider me as his son .... The rest, I think you already know it ..."

All were surprised and sorry at once for the young man. It was a surprise to Flynn and Rapunzel, who believed that the captain in question had always been Tim's real father. This same captain of appearance so helpful, but was revealed in reality to be an opportunist seeking only glory. To see Tim's face, he did not like talking about it and preferred not to say anything anymore. Moana's hand rested on his shoulder.

_ "I'm sorry, Tim ....." was all she could tell him. He did not answer, closing in on himself and watching the fire. The atmosphere had become a little heavier, and the night was already advanced, the group decided to sleep a little. Flynn and Rapunzel were lying next to each other, Flynn's arm around his wife's waist, and both were sleeping. Tim slept too, against the rock, his rifle in his hand. Moana volunteered for the first shift and sat by the fire, watching and listening attentively all around her. Despite the night, the jungle was still very noisy.

Her gaze rose slowly, looking towards the huge central mountain of the island, which even seemed to touch the sky. The giant skull shape made the young woman shudder. Without knowing why, she could feel, from this mountain, as a giant and powerful presence, observing from the heights and like, looking for her with his eyes.......

_”Kong .....” she whispered to herself. From his haunt on the high mountain, Kong, still sitting and staring at the sky, seemed to react suddenly, narrowing noisily and emitting a curious little groan, his eyes resting somewhere on a part of the island, as if he had felt, in his instinct, his name being pronounced .....


	9. Night Predators

That night, after Tim took his guard turn, Moana went to sleep a little, or at least tried, as the atmosphere and innumerable dangers of this island made her nervous. But fatigue taking over, the young woman had finally fallen asleep, lulled by the soft and reassuring heat of the campfire. However, Moana's sleep was not peaceful as she hoped.

When her eyes opened, she was reassured to see herself back on the beaches of Motunui, feeling the warm sand again under her feet and enjoying the lush vegetation, and beyond, her village, not having changed at all.

_ "Mother, father, I am back!" she called, rushing to her village with great haste to see everyone again. But as she approached the first huts, the whole island floor began to shake, more and more violently, making Moana almost stumbling. Many trees fell with a crash under the shaking, as the huts. Then, with horror, Moana saw the ground suddenly explode a few meters ahead, lifting a huge column of dirt and dust in the air. She screamed in horror. From the smoke of the crater emerged a giant creature, reptilian, resembling to the one that Kong had killed at the lake, but much larger and intimidating. The creature roared with a deafening roar, revealing rows of sharp teeth and an undulating tongue almost like that of a snake, and taking a step forward, crushed two huts with one of his giant paws.

_ "Moana!!" suddenly shouted a voice she recognized immediately. Her parents, panicked, were desperately trying to get out of their big hut. Seeing them, Moana began to run toward them, but was horrified when the creature's giant paw crashed down on the parents' hut, crushing them with one swift blow.

_ "NOOOOOOOO!!" shouted Moana in tears and helpless, falling to her knees, her hand outstretched toward the ruined hut. The shadow of the creature covered her completely, and the powerful roar echoed in her ears. Raising her eyes, she saw the gigantic jaw with its sharp teeth and the breath of blood and flesh getting closer to her, to devour her. Knowing that she had no chance of escaping, Moana seemed to resign herself, lowering her head and closing her eyes to receive her fate.

_”Moana? Moana, wake up....”

The young woman, her mind still clouded, opened her eyes with difficulty and moaned. She saw the figure of Princess Rapunzel, leaning over her, and shaking her gently by one shoulder. The princess of Corona showed a rather worried face. Rubbing her still sleepy eyes, Moana stood up, catching sight of Tim and Flynn, looking around, watching closely all around. The light of the campfire brought a zone of light, encircled by an immense dark and frightening territory, in which resounded the wild sounds of this terrifying island. Tim had his rifle in hand, while Flynn was armed with a tip burning wood and seemed to light up in front of him to try to see something.

_"What is going on?" Moana asked, puzzled.

_ "I've heard strange noises all around us, and they're getting closer and closer." Tim answered, still watching in front, not at all reassured.

_ "He's right, I heard them too, footsteps all around us ... we're not alone." confirmed Flynn, also on the lookout and ready to use his fiery brand as a weapon. Moana stayed at Rapunzel's side, near the reassuring fire, and listened attentively. Except the sound of the wind and the animals in the distance, another sound was heard, much closer ..... Fast noises and regular ..... Sounds of footsteps, indeed, and also curious grunt sounds ..... The heart of Moana started beating hard, and the nightmare she had just made, the fear was all the greater..... Catching a wooden stick in fire in the campfire, Moana handed another to the princess, who took it. Each being armed to defend himself in case, the small group formed a circle around the campfire, each looking in one direction.

_ "Oh shit ..... look ....." Tim said in his trembling voice. Everyone heard it and looked in his direction. A dozen meters away, in the dark, had suddenly appeared several pairs of reptilian eyes, shining in the darkness, and dispersing slowly around the small group, still emitting these hungry grunts. Because of the dark night, the group could not see the shapes of these creatures, or precisely where they could be. Rapunzel snuggled up against Flynn, and they both stayed close to each other with their wooden sticks in fire in their hands and ready to defend themselves.

_ "Let's stay together, maybe they'll be hesitant to come closer." Moana suggested, and all agreed with the idea.

_ "And let's keep the flaming torches in front of us, that's surely what intimidates them." Flynn said. He was probably right, but they still had to be careful. The creatures' eyes continued to move in the night, getting closer to their preys.

Suddenly, a reptilian and biped creature, measuring a little over a meter long, leaped forward roaring in the flames, but Tim was faster and managed to shoot him with the rifle. The detonation sounded in the air as the animal was hit in the chest and fell to the ground, dead. At once surprised and terrified, the group could see against what he had to deal. These biped reptiles had a long muzzle filled with sharp teeth, as well as large claws bent on their hind legs. Moana and the others shivered with anguish, none of them having ever seen such a creature before. This island was definitely a real reservoir of living nightmares. Even the underwater kingdom of monsters with Tamatoa was less terrifying than this place.

But Flynn had dropped his guard for a moment and suddenly fell forward violently, feeling a sharp pain that made him scream. Another creature grabbed his foot between her teeth and tried to bring him with her in the darkness.

_"Help me!!" Flynn called, struggling and trying to kick the creature back.

_ "My love, hold on!" Rapunzel shouted as she rushed and waved her flaming torch toward the animal to make him run away, but he seemed to ignore the flames. Moana came to their aid and grabbed Flynn's hands to hold him back. Rapunzel did the same.

_ "Tim, shoot!!" Moana insisted loudly. The young man obeyed without tad, preparing a new cartridge with nervousness and eagerness. But as he was about to aim and shoot, another creature came up behind him, knocking him down. The animal scratched Tim in the shoulder, making him scream in pain. Seeing this, Moana rushed to his aid, while Rapunzel continued to help her husband in trouble. Taking her courage in her hands, Moana gave a war cry, and hit the creature's head with the flaming torch, just before this one could bit the neck of Tim. Burned, the creature grunted in pain and fled into the night, while Moana helped Tim to get back on his feet, but also saw the bloody scratch behind his shoulder.

_ "Tim ... your shoulder ..." Moana said, worried.

_ "This ..... It's nothing ..... thank you Moana." Tim was pretending to be fine, but he was suffering, it was obvious.

Meanwhile, Flynn had kicked several times into the creature's head, which still refused to let go. Rapunzel picked up her frying pan from the bag she had brought, and with all her might, hit the animal in the face. The face of the reptile became imbedded in the metal surface of the object. Flynn was able to free himself and stepped back, but limped a lot. Even if the leather of his boot was strong, the teeth had pierced and reached a little flesh of his ankle. Rapunzel helped Flynn come back to the others to regroup. Despite the resistance, the creatures did not give up, regrouping themselves to launch a new attack. This time, the creatures were going to attack all at the same time.

Seeing that Flynn and Tim were injured, Moana did not know if the group would manage to hold. Dawn was still far away and obviously, these creatures were in no hurry to go to sleep. Was it finished? Would they die here tonight on this nightmarish island?

The group of reptilian predators appeared out of the darkness, the glow of the flames reflected in their yellow eyes and on their scales. Emitting sneaky grunts, they began to form a new circle around the Moana group, to block them completely. Their big claws slammed, emitting distinctive sounds, as means of communication between them.

_ "Get ready ..." Moana said without a quick gesture, holding her flaming torch firmly in her hand. The others obeyed, ready to defend their lives dearly. The alpha creature, with a scar in one of her eyes, came forward a few feet away from Moana and stared straight into her eyes. Seeing the defiant look in the creature's eye, Moana had an idea and walked slowly, to everyone's astonishment. Brandishing her fiery torch forward, Moana gave the impression of openly defying the alpha, hoping to intimidate him with fire. The other creatures turned their eyes to their leader. The latter grunted ferociously, and unfortunately for Moana, was not intimidated. Scratching the ground with his claws, the alpha was gaining momentum, all claws and fangs ready, and preparing to pounce on the young woman to shred her.

Suddenly, the alpha was hit by something very fast and massive at the same time, which threw it several meters back. Moana's group was speechless, very surprised. Under their eyes, one by one, the creatures were struck and pushed back in the dark by this great and very fast human figure. In a few seconds, the group of predators had fled, leaving Moana and her group alone with this stranger hidden in the shadows that had just saved them.

_ "I don't know who you are, but thank you very much." said Moana in all sincerity.

_ "You don't know who I am? Coming from you, I'm rather disappointed," the stranger said wryly as he stepped out of the darkness, smiling to her. Moana's face brightened and a big smile appeared on her lips.

_ "Maui!!"

Her friend Demigod was there, alive and well. Moana could not restrain her joy and jumped into his arms, in a strong hug. Also very happy to see his dear friend, Maui also hugged her, lifting her from the ground like a feather, but taking care not to crush her in his strong arms. Moana could not hold back a tear from flowing from her cheek.

_ "I was so scared for you .... I was afraid you would be ..." she did not even dare to finish her sentence, but Maui understood it and reassured her.

_ "It takes more than that to kill me, you know it." the demigod said with a smile.

_ "Um ..." Rapunzel's voice said behind, causing Moana and Maui to turn to the others, a little puzzled by what was happening.

_ "Oh, that's right ..." Moana apologized, a little puzzled "Um... Tim. Prince Flynn. Princess Rapunzel. I present to you my friend Maui, shapeshifter, demigod of the wind and sea .... "

_ "And hero of men, don't forget." Maui reminded her with a wink, which made Moana smile. Maui had not changed at all, and that was what made his charm. Rapunzel, Flynn and Tim seemed speechless at the mention of the "demigod" word, but after what they had seen on this island, they were ready to believe Moana without problem. A little intimidated, Rapunzel greeted the demigod with a bow.

_ "On behalf of Corona, thank you, demigod, for your help."

_”You’re welcome.” Maui answered with a lot of assurance. Moana watched him, shaking his head nonchalantly, but still with a smile. Flynn wanted to move forward, but made a groan of pain as he fell to one knee. Seeing him, Rapunzel went to him. His ankle was still suffering from the bite of the reptile. Then, Tim, moaned too, before becoming pale and falling to the ground, half conscious.

_ "Tim!" Moana quickly knelt beside him, looking at his condition. The shoulder injury looked worse than expected. Tim was suffering and sweating heavily. Moana put her hand on his forehead.

_ "His forehead is hot. He needs heal, and fast!"

_ "But I have nothing in my bag that can help him." replied the Princess de Corona, a little panicked. Maui stepped forward, taking Tim into his arms. The demigod seemed sure of him.

_ "I know where to go. Follow me."


	10. A God among Us

Time was now counted for Tim. His shoulder injury continued to bleed and made him suffer terribly. The young man, carried without difficulty by the mighty Maui, groaned and delirious in his half-consciousness. Following the demigod eagerly through the frightening night jungle, Moana, Rapunzel and Flynn feared the worst for their friend. Every second spent taking the risk of seeing him die of an infection, and this time Moana could not do anything. What did Maui have in mind? She had wondered, but her demigod friend had been very quiet and mysterious about it. While running, Flynn held a flaming torch in his hand, watching with great attention all around to check that no nocturnal predator was following them. Rapunzel remained near her husband, frightened, hearing all around them the cries and other sounds of animals in the jungle.

_ "Maui, we've been running for almost an hour, Tim will not survive if we drag too much!" Moana insisted on her friend while continuing to run. Maui gave her a look that was certainly worried, but also confident.

_ "Don't worry. Where I'll take you, he'll be saved, believe me."

What could he talk about? Moana would have liked to insist even more, but given the urgency of the situation, she preferred not to slow down Maui with more questions and trusting him entirely.

A few minutes later, after passing a large waterfall feeding a small freshwater lake, the group arrived in a remote and secluded part of the jungle, but also, strangely, much quieter. In the light of Flynn's torch, some surprising shapes appeared. Stacks of stones piled one on top of the other, but in an architectural way .... Moana, Rapunzel and Flynn, while walking, contemplated with amazement what had appeared to them as .... ruins! Remnants half covered by the vegetation of the forest, worn and moldy, which seemed to be here for centuries and centuries .... a proof that a human civilization had lived on this island very long before their arrival.

But as they arrive in front of the remains of a large stone arch, Maui stops suddenly, and gestures to the others to do the same. A few seconds later, human silhouettes slowly emerge from the shadows, armed with fiery spears and torches. Moana, Flynn, and Rapunzel remain frozen, somewhat anxious, while these men and women, also natives with bodies covered with strange tattoos and symbols, approach them, staring at them with their faces closed. Raising his hands, Maui walks towards them without fear to talk to them.

_ "No worries, they are with me. Friends." the demigod said to them. Keeping her hands up, Moana was able to carefully observe the appearance of these natives. Their faces and bodies, for the most part, were covered entirely with tattoos and paints, some of which managed to blend in with the environment and become almost invisible. One of the natives, the one who seemed to be the leader of these warriors, wearing a red feathered headdress, advanced to Maui, and both put their hands on the shoulder of the other, as friends greeting each other.

_ "Do you think they'll kill us?" Rapunzel asked anxiously, staying curled up near Flynn, who also did not show much confidence before all those warriors armed with spears and closed faces.

_ "Don't worry ...." Maui answered, having heard the princess of Corona "... they don't look like this at first, but they are friendly when you get to know them."

A heavy groan from Tim brought everyone back to the urgency of the situation when the young moss rolled his eyes and fainted in Moana's arms, who gasped with concern, tried to wake him up. She noticed that his wound was still bleeding severely.

_ "Tim? Tim! No, please, wake up! Hold on!"

The young man was not reacting at all, and his breathing had become almost non-existent. Maui then explained the reasons for the arrival of his friends in the village, and on this the natives seemed to understand. Several of them advanced to Moana, inviting her to step aside without jostling her, and took Tim in charge with great care. The leader of the warriors, by signs, addressed Moana and the others, and Maui made it his duty to translate.

_ "He invites you to follow them to their village. You are their guests, at least as long as you respect their laws."

_"We will do it." Moana answered sincerely.

_ "We are in unknown territory, so it's not really time to play the rebels." Flynn added, joined in agreement by his wife. Maui smiled to see them agree with him and all without further ado, followed the troop of native warriors beyond the ruins of an old stone arch that had collapsed for a long time.

After a few more minutes of walking through the thick and moist forest, the group finally arrived in a more open space. Moana, Flynn and Rapunzel opened wide admiring eyes. A large grassy plain on which stood many houses made with rocks and other natural elements, offering rudimentary shelters but with a very solid appearance for the inhabitants. The village was at the edge of a large river, at the edge of which was amused a group of children, under the supervision of their mothers who were busy going up the fishes caught by the lines they launched into the water. One thing caught the eye of Moana, Flynn and Rapunzel on their left as they walked. Farther and built between two steep rocky cliffs, stood a great wall made of tree trunks and bristling with sharpened wooden posts, standing there like a protective wall.

On arrival in the village, all the inhabitants stopped their activities to put their attention on the foreigners who had arrived, without showing any sign of aggressivity towards them. Holding hands, Flynn and Rapunzel kept on walking, not daring to look at all the people watching them curiously. Before them, Moana advanced to Maui to talk to him.

_ "Who ... who are they?"

_ "I don't know it ..." answered the demigod frankly, he who nevertheless thought to know all the peoples of the archipelago. "... They are not very talkative as you can see, but they are sincere .... but they know who I am, I think that's why they welcomed me among them ... it's been hundreds of years that these people live here, recluse from the world, among the monsters .... they don't speak, and even the oldest of them still seem as robust as young adults, as if they never aged totally .... "

Moana listened to her friend speak attentively. From what he said, it's as if this island was frozen in time, isolated from the rest of the world. It was both fascinating and terrifying. Tim was immediately taken in charge by what appeared to be the healer of the village, a man as tattooed as the others, and yet who proved to be blind, while knowing where he was walking. Lying in the healer's hut on a wicker mat, Tim groaned more and more in his unconsciousness, while the healer took several medicinal herbs in terracotta pots. Moana wanted to enter the hut too, but Maui gently held her by the shoulder and gave her a look to reassure her.

_ "The healer doesn't really like being bothered while he's working. Don't worry, your friend is in good hands. It's the healer who saved my life when they have brought here. Without him I would surely be dead by now. "

Moana was a little hesitant, really worried about Tim, but she also trusted Maui and nodded, following him and leaving Tim to the native. But as they were moving away from the healer's hut, the leader of the natives stepped forward again and with another wave of his hand invited the group of strangers to come with him to a place very particular in the village. Moana, Flynn, and Rapunzel were able to see what looked like a very old and large wreck of a ship, half buried in the mud and gradually covered by the vegetation that had recovered its rights.

The native chief entered through a large crack in the wood of the hull of the ship, followed by Maui who signaled the others to follow him. Upon entering, Moana, Flynn, and Rapunzel felt a shiver run down their spine, glimpsing torches in several places and illuminating the place, and a few natives standing upright and silent, carrying on their bodies tattoos in the form of various and varied symbols.

_"What is this place?" asked the Princess de Corona, somewhat intimidated by the thinking atmosphere of the place.

_ "This is a sacred place for this people, like a kind of temple .... so if you don't want to lose a hand, don't touch anything.They don't like to touch what belongs to their god."

_ "Their god?" Moana said, raising an eyebrow. Maui looked at her and nodded.

_"Something far more powerful than me." he said, with very sincerity. Moana felt a shiver.

The group entered a more open space inside the ship, lit this time by cracks in the wood and letting the sun's rays through. Walking on a carpet of moss and dead leaves, Moana, Flynn, and Rapunzel were able to contemplate several large black stones set up and surrounded by natives who seemed to guard and protect them. These giant black stones seemed to be covered with patterns made with white paint and from a certain angle of view, revealed rock drawings that seemed to tell something. Some natives were kneeling in front of some of the black stones, usually the largest ones, and praying in silence.

Maui approached the first black stones, which showed on their surface drawings representing giant and monstrous creatures, some resembling reptiles, and others to giant apes, and in the middle of them, frightened and dying humans .

_ "From what is said ..." the demigod began to tell his friends who listened with the greatest attention "... hundreds of years ago, this island was the battlefield of giant monsters who waged a permanent war for domination. The natives living among these colossi were constantly subject to fear."

Other black stones showed another drawing, that of natives, who this time stood on their knees, prostrate before a giant head resembling a monkey. Moana had a new thrill at the sight of this drawing that looked exactly like the giant monkey she had seen in the island.

_ "But one day, the miracle happened ... one of the monsters that once scared them, started to protect them from the things that devoured them all the time ...."

Moana, Flynn and Rapunzel did not say a word, they were too captivated by what he heard in this surreal place. Other black stones still showed this giant monkey, but this time also on his knees and seeming in mourning before the giant skeletons of two other monkeys at his height. And finally, in the deep of the temple and shined by torches, was the great final fresco, showing the native people, gathering and praying, and above them again finding the giant and all-powerful monkey, dominating them and protecting them from all his stature and his fierce eye.

_ "And it's here that they honor their savior and protector ..." continued Maui contemplating the fresco with a more than palpable respect. Once again Moana looked at the fresco of the giant monkey, feeling almost as if he was looking at her. Maui took another step towards the fresco without being able to look away. "... and here he is ...... Kong."

The name he uttered tore a powerful shudder from Moana and the others, as if that name were not to be heard by mortals. The natives themselves seemed affected, and lowered their heads with respect. The almost supernatural atmosphere of the temple seemed to be accentuated by the mention of this name.

_ "And .... who is he?" Moana asked, without looking away from the fresco. Maui understood her curiosity well and explained.

_ "He is the king on this island, and he is a god for this people. Kong is a good king, as long you don't bother him. It's his home here, and we are only guests. He's the one who decides who stays and who leaves ... and in general, when we come to someone's house and start to blow things up, we're looking for trouble."

Moana, Flynn and Rapunzel glared at each other, guessing he was talking about the moment when Wagner and his men, unscrupulously, had blown up the dynamite. A little shameful, Rapunzel nevertheless wanted to defend herself and her friends.

_ "Know that I never give such an order, I assure you, I would never have done that .... it's Wagner .... he completely lost his mind."

_ "I know it's not your fault, princess, and they know that too, that's why they didn't kill you ..." Maui said pointing to the natives. "But Kong is much harder to convince. He's a good king, but he can also be ruthless."

Flynn came to morally support Rapunzel and reassure her. She blamed herself for trusting Wagner. Moana felt sorry for her too, but again focused on Maui, watching the big scars on his body.

_ "And .... it's Kong who did that to you?" she asked apprehensively. Maui grew darker and shook her head nonchalantly before pointing to a new fresco.

_ "No ... it's one of those."

Moana shuddered with horror, as did the Corona couple. The rock painting depicted a two-legged reptilian creature whose head appeared almost devoid of skin and resembled a howling skull of a lizard. "... Kong is god on this island, but where there's a god, there's the devil too."

Moana recognized there the reptilian creature that Kong had killed in the lake when she observed while remaining hidden.

_ "And ... how do they name these things?" Moana asked.

_ "Well ..." Maui replied, a little embarrassed "... people here do not want to give them names, by fear .... personally, I call them Skull Crawlers .... I found that it sounded pretty good ...."

Skull crawlers. A name to be cold in the back and which, indeed, seemed suitable for these horrible creatures. Maui seemed to scowl a little, touching with fingertips the scars that one of these giant lizards inflicted on him, and spoke again.

_ "No matter what they are called .... these lizards are vicious, mean and ruthless .... they usually live underground, but the explosion that your stupid captain has caused, awakened them from their torpor .. .. they have started to rise to the surface and eat everything in their way, which makes Kong completely mad with rage .... We are lucky that he is here to protect us .... as long they are still small, he manages to exterminate them without any problem, but above all, do not wake up the biggest of them ...."

_”How big is he?” Rapunzel asked with fear.

_ "A lot, a lot bigger ... He killed Kong's whole family. Kong is the last of his kind, but he's still growing, and believe me, it has to keep going like this ... Because the day Kong will disappear, the big lizard will feel it, and it will rise to the surface .... I let you imagine the continuation .... "

Indeed, it did not mean anything good. Although intimidated by the explanations of her friend, Moana, however, had also come to understand more things, especially with respect to this god, Kong, and his role .... he was not a simple giant animal. Although she had already seen monsters in her life, Moana knew deep inside her that Kong was so much more ... something much bigger and more complex than anything humanity could imagine ..... a force of nature... like....a guardian....

But as she pondered, Moana's attention was suddenly drawn to a new fresco, more discreet and better protected. As she approached, the native guards agreeing to step aside to better let her see, she opened wide stupefied eyes. Kong was still drawn, roaring, but this time in a position of weakness, dominated by the shape of the giant skull crawler, the one described earlier by Maui as the big one ... and near them, was drawn a young human woman stretching out her hands towards Kong and surrounded by a wave of water that seemed to obey her. Moana did not dare say it, but this young woman on the painting reminded her of someone very familiar...

_"What is it?" she asked, placing her palm gently on the cold black rock, without the natives seeming indignant at seeing her touching the sacred altar of their god. Maui walked over to her, taking her gently by the shoulders.

_ "A legend tells that one day, Kong will be killed by the great skull crawler ... but it is said that a young human woman with valiant heart and coming from the ocean, will arrive one day on this island, will face the evil creatures of this island ... "

Maui then invited Moana to turn her head to her right, towards the continuation of the fresco, showing the young woman from the ocean, standing in the giant hand of Kong, both of them looking into each other's eyes. "... and help Kong restore the balance of this world."

Moana felt her heart leap in her chest and showed a shocked face in front of Maui and all the natives who stared at her insistently.

_ "I .... no .... it can not be me." declared the young woman of Motunui.

_ "Moana ...." Maui told her, supporting her "... they know who you are .... you've been chosen by the ocean .... you've worn the heart of Te Fiti and restored the balance ..... you are the most designated among us to save Kong."

_ "I .... no .... NO!" Moana abruptly pulled Maui out of her way and started running out of the temple, without any native trying to hold her back. Rapunzel wanted to run after her to catch her, but Flynn made her understand by the look that it was better to leave alone for the moment. Maui also remained motionless, feeling both guilty but reassured to have revealed this to his friend.

Moana had run, again and again without stopping, to reach the limit of the village, near the great wall of wood. With her hand resting on the wood of the wall, Moana was breathing heavily, her head bowed and heavy anxiety on her face. She, having to face these giant and monstrous creatures? Just that idea terrified her. She did not feel able. How could a young woman like her have the slightest chance of helping a god against an army of demons? She was nothing compared to these ancestral things that challenged the dominant place of the human in the world .... She had been able to cross the ocean, face many dangers, but this time .... Moana did not feel capable ... she thought back to her island, her parents, and her thoughts knotted her throat and made a tear come out at the corner of her eye .... would she ever see them again?

But as she was lost in thought, a loud, distant moan made her come back to reality. Wiping the tear on her cheek, she listened attentively, hearing again the sound that sounded like a complaint. The curiosity prevailing, she crossed the small cut between two beams of the wall, to find herself outside the village limits and walking in the middle of large wild grass dancing with the light wind. She noticed the large woodpeckers standing on the surface of the wall, all with dried bloodstains, indicating that more than once, creatures had tried to enter here.

Moving a little further from the wall, Moana stopped suddenly, perceiving the origin of the noise, and hastened at once. Another of these giant buffaloes was there, on the ground, moaning heavily. A big tree had fallen on him, blocking him to the ground. The big animal was barely moving and seemed desperate. Moana approached very gently, without abrupt gestures, and with her hand gently stroked the cold but soft muzzle of the buffalo, the latter allowing her to do so without showing any fear.

_ "Shhh ...." Moana murmured softly with her voice to soothe the animal. Faced with these groans, she took pity on this poor beast and wanted to help him get out of there. She stepped forward and placing her hands under the trunk of the tree, tried with all her might to move it. Seeing her doing, the buffalo also tried to get up, but nothing helped, the trunk did not move. Moana did not give up, feeling the pain growing in her hands against the wood, and the muscles of her arms are becoming more and more tense.

_ "Come on .... you have to help me ...." she whispered insistently, feeling the fatigue win very quickly. But despite her determination and the help of the buffalo, she did not manage to spread the trunk. Blowing hard and looking at his hands reddened and sore by the effort, Moana sighed, placing her forehead against the trunk and closing her eyes. That's what I thought, she thought, judging herself .... I'm not up to it ....

Suddenly the trunk lifted from the ground, and Moana, taken by surprise, stepped back several steps. Looking up and showing big round eyes, she froze. Kong! He was there, standing before her, dominating her by his colossal height, and holding in his hand the tree trunk as if it were a vulgar broken toy. Released, the giant buffalo climbed back on its hooves and began to move towards the forest. Moana did not move more and hardly dared to breathe, feeling the thud of her heartbeat in her chest. The giant monkey looked straight into her eyes, still with the same severe face and making hear his deep and powerful breathing. He dropped the tree trunk next to him, not caring anymore and kept staring into Moana's eyes.

Moana was terrified. Never before had she been so close to him. He was even more impressive and intimidating, giving the impression that his head was touching the sky. Although looking serious, Kong was not aggressive towards her. Moana noticed it. Had he seen her trying to help the buffalo? Maybe, but she was not sure.

For long minutes, the young woman and the giant monkey looked into each other's eyes, without moving. Moana felt herself crushed by his gaze, like a god laying his eyes on a mortal. She still had a hard time imagining that such a creature could exist ... nature was decidedly full of surprises. However, Kong seemed intrigued by her too ... could he feel who she really was? Her bond with the ocean and with the goddess Te Fiti? Hard to say. Who could really know what a giant creature like him could think.

Although frightened by the monster, Moana did not feel threatened as before, seeing that he would not hurt her. At first very hesitant, she advanced with a timid step towards him, being now only a few feet away, and wished to pronounce a word.

_ "Kong ....." she said in a reserved voice. The spark in the monkey's eye clearly expressed a reaction and an understanding, as well as the neutral groan that he breathed between his teeth. Moana suspected it, but wanted to check it. He understood humans.

After looking at it, Kong breathed heavily and began to turn around, stomping slowly and slowly away to the forest. Moana remained static, watching the majestic and powerful king of Skull Island leave, leaving her alive, as the good king he is. As she watched him walk away from her, Moana brought her hand to her heart, feeling it beat. For the first time at the sight of Kong, Moana began to show a smile, finally starting to understand ....


	11. A Moment of Respite

Wagner and his men who had survived during the crossing of the island, about eight sailors, the most hardened, had finally reached a remote part of the island, untouched by any presence of giant predatory creatures. Exhausted and always terrified by the abnormal fauna of this island that could arise at any moment, the sailors wanted to stop for a break, but Captain Wagner, smiling with all his teeth and his shining eye, pointed to the wreck of a very old ship, covered with moss and other creeping vegetation.

_ "Gentlemen, this is our base camp for the night. William, first watch this night. Johns and Liam, get some wood to make a fire."

The sailor named William sighed heavily, he who would have hoped to sleep a little once the camp installed. The wreck was very old, but nevertheless it would provide a safe shelter for the group of men, they do not especially want to sleep in nature with all the predators that run.

Wagner inspected the ship's rooms, one by one, discovering a lot of badly damaged things, dirty and torn portraits of people he did not know and who were probably dead on this island. In his hand the captain picked up the shreds of what was once a little girl's dress, torn by marks of claws and still bearing, in spite of the humidity, dry traces of blood. Wagner swallowed. This island was decidedly unforgiving ... a place that does not belong to the human ... at least, for the moment, Wagner thought sharp-eyed, determined to carry out its main objective: to kill Kong.

As he dropped the torn robe at his feet, Wagner was stopped by one of his sailors who arrived hastily and smiled.

_ "Captain, you should come and see."

Intrigued by the cheerful air of his sailor, Wagner immediately followed him to the bottom of small, damp, dirty wooden stairs, leading straight to the hold of the ship. The place was plunged into a constant darkness or swarming worms and other insects from swamps, the sailor illuminated with a torch made in a hurry. The orange glow of the flames revealed an immense and dismal hold, filled to the brim with barrels that had withstood the weather and the humidity. Wagner stepped to one of the casks and peeking in, he too smiled with great interest. Most of these barrels were filled with dynamite sticks, even more than Wagner and his men had brought on their own ship. It was enough to blow up half of the capital of Corona. Other barrels contained oil, giving off a strong, fermented odor. But Wagner did not care about the smell, too overwhelmed by this discovery and put his hand on the shoulder of his sailor, congratulating him with his eyes.

_ "Now, we can kill that bastard." the captain said with determination.

************

Kong was back in his den, while twilight had given way to the night. Tonight, in the dark, star-dappled sky, huge threads of blue-green light danced, running through the heavens at great speed. Sitting at the edge of his cliff overlooking the island, Kong nibbled at a large root that he had torn off, and while munching softly, gazed at the dancing lights of the sky with a curious, but also fascinated eye.

However, his thoughts were elsewhere. He had not stopped having them since that moment, when he met this young human woman with matted skin and long, wavy hair .... she, not moving, her eyes fixed on him and showing both this expression of fear, but also of understanding .... a human looking at him in this way was not common, even more than rare .... both frightened, and not .... the only time it happened. .....

Kong managed to gather his memories and growling slightly, turned his head to a small mound of land a few meters from him, on which stood an oval stone worn by time. At the foot of this stone was a small necklace of pearls, old and dirty, but nevertheless whole. With the tip of his big finger and with a thousand precautions, Kong touched the necklace, without moving it. A dampness formed in the eyes of the king, and his face became more serious, darker ... he had never been able to forget who this necklace belonged to .... Tehela, an unknown young woman, had once been brought by the ocean to the shores of the island .... half dead, she had been picked by the natives, who took care of her .... over time, Tehela became one of their , learning their customs and traditions, and especially learning to know the dangers of this island, but also to venerate the true master. When she first met Kong, Tehela was frightened at first, but little by little she learned to observe him, to know him, to respect him as king of the island. He had affection for her, and sometimes she could come to see him in his lair .... The way she looked at him ... she did not look at him with fear, nor like an animal .... but as a protector, a friend ....

On nights when the lights danced in the sky, Tehela came, coming to settle in the giant palm of the monkey, and both together, could spend the whole night contemplating the beauty of the skies .... Tehela always ended up to fall asleep, but Kong sat there, watching over her as she slept.

Tehela was also talking to him, as if she were talking to any human, and Kong sat listening to her, and understood her most of the time. According to her, Tehela belonged to a tribe, the Motunuis, and was an explorer ... she had left to discover new islands, but had been caught in a storm. The ocean saved her as she drowned and brought her to this island .... But one day, a group of skull crawlers attacked the lair during the night. Kong fought with all his strength, managing to kill them one after the other, while protecting Tehela. But unfortunately, one of the predators was more cunning and while Kong was struggling with another, he took the opportunity to seize the young woman. Kong saw Tehela be devoured before his eyes, without being able to do anything, the skull crawler guilty of her death having fled just after. All that remained of her was her pearl necklace which she lost before being swallowed by the monster. Tehela's death deeply affected Kong ... he never forgot, never forgave ... all this happened fifty years ago now ....

His thoughts returned to the other young woman, Moana .... on seeing her, he had almost seen in her a Tehela lookalike .... that same look, that same understanding, the same way of talking to him... Kong thought about all this, while looking up at the dancing lights of the sky and deep inside him, hoping that the young woman was fine...

*********

In honor of the arrival of the chosen one from the ocean, the native tribe of the island held a celebration this night. The whole tribe had gathered around a big fire, also celebrating their god Kong and the sacred lights that danced in the darkness of the sky. Striking on drums, men beat a powerful and regular rhythm, accompanied by flutes in bone, while women wearing very bright colors and headdresses of bones and feathers, danced in a circle with a perfect syncronization, all around flames dancing with them.

Usually closed and neutral, this time, the natives showed their emotions, smiling, expressing themselves by shouts of joy. Maui had been invited to dance by two women at the same time, and a little embarrassed, the demigod agreed, under the stifled laughter of Moana, to see her friend blush like a ripe fruit. Sitting around the fire, as a guest of honor among the members of the tribe, Moana contemplated with interest the dances of the natives, while savoring the dinner, consisting of a very tasty fish that the natives often fished and covered with d a delicious spice powder that they grow here. The natives gave without demanding anything in return, sharing their resources with pleasure. According to Maui, they do not know the crime, nor the private property .... they are above all that ... Sitting also as guests, side by side, Flynn and Rapunzel looked and laughed heartily with the natives next to them. During the day in the village, Rapunzel had taken the time to draw some of the natives, making portraits of them very detailed .... She had also managed to sympathize with some children of the tribe and had played with them, under the distant but certain watching of the mothers...

Although being the princess of a great and powerful kingdom, Rapunzel did not see these people as savages, on the contrary .... she too, in a way, had lived a recluse of the rest of the world, in her tower .... in a way, she was like those people ....

_ "Tim, you're up!" Flynn suddenly said, getting up, drawing the princess's attention. Indeed, the young moss arrived, looking a little tired but still alive. Flynn hugged him, and Rapunzel did the same, smiling and happy to see him standing up.

_"How do you feel?" she asked.

_ "A little blurry, but it's okay. This healer worked miracles, I feel nothing at all." Tim replied, showing the rudimentary but effective dressing that had been placed on him and almost completely scarred the wound. After greeting the prince and the princess of Corona and thanking them for worrying about him, Tim went to Moana, who in turn smiled at him, getting up to meet him and hug him. Tim blushed, and hugged her too. He blushed even more when Motunui's young woman put a little kiss on his cheek.

_ "I'm happy to see you standing and alive. Te Fiti has heard my prayer."

_ "Given the circumstances, I'm ready to believe the unimaginable, so thank you." Tim replied gratefully. Moana smiled again and the young moss, now healed, was invited to sit among them, a woman from the tribe bringing him food, which he did not refuse, on the contrary, being hungry as ever. One more proof that he was feeling better, Moana thought, laughing a little without making fun of him.

Later.....

The ceremony had lasted until very late in the night. Rapunzel and Flynn returned to the hut which was granted to them by the natives. A small hut made of stones and branches, small in size but big enough for two people. This changed enormously from the large and sumptuous rooms of the castle of the capital of Corona, but the couple was not at all indisposed by the smallness of their shelter, nor the smell of plants. Rapunzel sits on the rudimentary but very comfortable bed, consisting of a large mattress stuffed with straw. The natives had found these beds in one of the many wrecks of ships that had run aground on this island over the years, and kept them there.

Flynn, sitting on his mattress and blowing with fatigue, began to take off his boots, then noticed Rapunzel looking at her drawings, one by one. She had made drawings of the natives, but also of certain landscapes of the island, and also one of the face of Kong, roaring and majestic. A face she could never forget. How could one forget the existence of such creatures after seeing them with his own eyes?

_ "Do you think to show these drawings to the king and the queen when we return to Corona?" Flynn asked, putting down his boots next to him. Rapunzel shrugged slightly, uncertain, her face lit by the little lantern hanging near her and surrounded by small insects fluttering around the light.

_ "I don't know .... who will believe what we have seen? And then, after leaving without permission, I think my father will punish me for a whole year."

Flynn smiled slightly, seeing that his wife was confused, and decided to comfort her. Sitting next to her, wrapping his arm around her waist, he laid a kiss on her forehead, which made her smile. The couple stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds, without saying a word, listening to the crickets singing around the hut.

_ "We'll come back home ..... I promise you ..." Flynn told her, gently pulling a strand of hair down on his wife's forehead. Rapunzel trusted him and nodded slowly. Flynn put his hand on her cheek, approaching his face and the couple kissed tenderly. The kiss became more and more passionate, and without breaking it, Rapunzel let herself lie on the mattress, Flynn leaning over her, continuing to kiss with love and starting a night together, wanting to enjoy this moment of respite.

During this time, and despite the late hour of the night, Moana could not sleep and came to sit on the edge of the river that bordered the village. Sitting on the soft, fresh sand, she gazed silently and pensively on the magnificent dancing lights in the sky, floating in the middle of the largest mountains on the island. She felt a presence approaching behind her and smiled as she saw Maui come and sit next to her, admiring the glimmers of heaven too.

_ "It's strange .... it's always the most beautiful places that are the most dangerous." he said. Moana in a sense, agreed with him. Although being a real hell on earth, this island also had landscapes of supernatural beauty. Moana did not want to talk about it during the party because fearing to darken the atmosphere and wanting to let her friends enjoy this respite, but now alone with her friend, she could speak frankly.

_ "Maui .... I am touched that you and the people of this island put so much hope in me, but let's be realistic .... I am only human, and Kong is a god .... he doesn't need me."

_ "Sometimes power is not enough, Moana, and I know that very well. Remember when we had to face Te Ka. Without you, I could never have defeated him. Everyone needs someone you can count on, even a creature as powerful as Kong ..... you did not come to this island just to save me, Moana, but that, your grandmother have already said is not it?"

Moana looked at him, rather surprised. How could he know what his grandmother had told him about Skull Island and that unexpected ally she would meet? Did Tala also warn him about Moana's coming on the island? Possible. Was this true? Was she destined to come to this island to help its king? Moana remembered Tala's words: you were chosen because you have a duty to do to this world.

A loud and familiar roar echoed across the island, reaching the village and attracting the attention of Moana and Maui who turned to look at the island's largest mountain, surrounded by mist. The King of Skull Island was speaking, sending as a sort of message .... Moana wondered: was it for her?


	12. The Link

After a relatively short night but still allowing them to find some strength, Moana and her friends had now a new goal: to reach the nearest coast of the island. For this, the natives gave the small group two of their canoes and showed them the surest way to follow on the riverbed to avoid the biggest creatures that lived hidden in the water.

Tim and Flynn were busy putting down the bags of provisions given by the tribe in the dugouts. Moana, Rapunzel and Maui joined them on the small wooden pontoon bordering the big river still asleep. A shy sun had risen a few hours ago and already, echoes of the first creatures of the island were heard in the forests and mountains around. The island was waking up again.

The natives had all come back, again silent and serious, and regarded the departure of the little group with a neutral air. Before leaving, Maui turned to them, split between the joy of leaving and leaving this island, but also sad to have to leave those people who had been so good to him and had taken care of him. Standing before the leader of the natives, an old man with faces wrinkled with wrinkles and symbols, Maui bowed respectfully before him, and the latter did the same. Moana and the others watched in silence, but also thanked the tribe for helping them.

_ "I probably could never repay the debt I owe you, but ..... know that I'll never forget you ...." Maui said, with a twinge in her heart. The natives said nothing or expressed nothing, as they usually do, but Maui knew they were also touched by those words as they nodded slowly. From one of the canoes, Rapunzel was sitting, making a sketch of this tearing goodbye on a piece of paper.

Once the farewells were done, the two canoes slowly left the river, beginning their new journey across the island, under the eyes of the tribe, who for one last goodbye, raised all their hands in unison towards the group. Moana and her friends saw them and also gave a last goodbye to this lost and forgotten people.

 

For most of the day the two canoes sailed the calm, gray waters of the great river that seemed to cross the whole island, amidst the great mountains and huge trees like cages of wood and greenery. While paddling, the group could contemplate the life that blossomed around them. Flocks of strange creatures, like deer-toothed hinds, giant buffaloes, or other strange herbivores, came peacefully to the river, watching the two canoes with curiosity, but nothing more. Flocks of birds of a thousand colors flew up into the sky in a concert of squeals. Although being a hell, this island still offered unparalleled beauty.

Flynn, Rapunzel and Tim were on the first canoe, Flynn and Tim holding the oars while the princess, marveling at what she saw around her, was trying to make other drawings of the creatures she saw. On the second canoe, Moana and Maui were rowing in rhythm, this situation bringing them back to some memories.

_ "So what will we do when we get to the coast?" Moana asked.

_ "We will try to build a large raft so we can leave the island, and with all the wrecks on this island, it should not be too difficult to find materials."

It seemed like a good plan, but Motunui's young woman could see that her friend seemed worried, even though he was trying to hide it.

_ "Maui? What's wrong?"

Taken by the fact, the demigod did not try to hide it any more, and sighed heavily, gloomily.

_ "What worries me is that one of those monsters, the skull crawlers, swallowed my hook. I tried to defend myself, but they were too many...."

Moana now understood what was upsetting her friend. One of these demons was in possession of the magic hook. Without him, Maui could no longer use his powers. She put her hand on Maui's shoulder, smiling at him determinedly.

_ "We'll get it back, I promise you."

Maui smiled too, and nodded forcefully.

 

Towards the end of the day, as the new twilight was born in the sky, the group decided to stop for the night, on a small secluded and deserted bank, sheltered by a grove of tall trees at the foot of a big cliff. According to Maui, at this rate, they would reach the coast tomorrow at the end of the morning. But after a whole day rowing, they needed rest.

After attaching the canoes to the water's edge, Moana and the others gathered on the small gray sandbank. Flynn and Tim, working in good duo, started to assemble a pile of wood to make a fire. Rapunzel, though tired, wanted to help them and filled the water bottles with water.

Moana, as a sentinel, watched the surroundings, armed with her rudimentary spear. But for a few moments, the young woman had taken a strange presentiment, feeling attracted by something behind the trees and leading to the cliff's heights. Without understanding how or why, she felt the urge to see what it was.

_ "Friends ....." she said, turning to them "... I ... I'm coming back .... I have to go see something ...."

_ "What? But see what?" Tim asked, raising an eyebrow, wary, like the others. But they had no answer, Moana starting to move away by removing the first giant ferns in its path.

_ "Moana, wait, I'm coming with you!" said Maui, running up behind her, and motioning for the others to wait for them here. Flynn, Rapunzel, and Tim remained without understanding, seeing their two friends disappear into the depths of the vegetation. Flynn shrugged and picked up the pile again.

_ "What's wrong with Moana? Maybe we should go with them." Rapunzel worried, sitting on a small rock.

_ "She is with Maui, a demigod ... nothing can happen to her." Flynn reassured her with conviction as he laid the wood on the ground. Rapunzel smiled a little, but suddenly a thud caught their attention, and a moan from Tim. Turning, they saw with dread, Tim, lying unconscious on the sand, having received a stone on the head.

_"What....?" said Flynn, who did not have time to finish his sentence as he received a violent blow to the head from behind with a rifle butt. Seeing this, horrified, Rapunzel wanted to scream for help, but was immediately seized. A man held her firmly, locking her arms behind her back and putting her hand firmly on the princess's mouth, preventing her from screaming. Rapunzel, eyes wide with fear, and moaning under the hand of her captor, saw then a group of men whom she recognized standing in front of her, appeared from the thickets. Wagner's sailors!! They were all shabby, dirty, clothes ragged, and looked crazy, dark.

_ "Well, well, look who we find, the guys ... the princess, the prince and the little moss ...." said one of the sailors, under the serious laughter of his comrades. "The captain is going to be happy ...... let's take them."

The men obeyed and grabbed Tim and Flynn, dragging them with them, while Rapunzel moaned and struggled with all his might, while being dragged away.

_ "Keep quiet, little bitch!" shouted the sailor who held her firmly. She managed to bite him in the hand, making him let go on her mouth.

_ "Hel ...." she wanted to scream, but immediately another sailor arrived, putting a white handkerchief over her mouth. Rapunzel, defenseless, felt a strong smell in her nose and mouth, and little by little, her eyesight and her senses became blurry ..... she was sleepy ..... very sleepy ..... Sinking into unconsciousness because of chloroform, Rapunzel was transported more easily by the sailor, who followed the others, disappearing into the darkness of the forest with their prisoners.

************

Unaware of the situation of their friends, Moana and Maui had climbed for long minutes the steep walls of the black cliff at the top of which the young woman wanted to go. With Maui, the ascent was easier, the demigod being used.

Once at the top, they were both on a flat and high space, almost overlooking the island. Night had fallen, however, plunging the island back into the darkness, and moreover, a mantle of mist had risen, blocking the view.

_ "Moana, can you tell me what we're doing here?" he asked, but the young woman did not answer, looking too busy with something. She stared straight ahead, focused, and listened around her. That mysterious voice that told her to come here ... she was sure ... it was Te Fiti .....

But as she advanced and stood a few feet from the edge of the cliff, she and Maui froze ..... tremors and muffled footsteps were heard, slowly approaching their position. .... Holding by the hands, Moana and Maui stayed where they are, and with their round and amazed eyes, looked straight ahead ..... emerging from the mist like a ghost, Kong was there, dominating them his stature, the head and the top of his torso exceeding the height of the cliff. The great ape stopped right in front of the cliff, breathing heavily and uttering deep grunts. His eyes locked on Moana and Maui, who made no move.

Once again, he stood there, the great king of this island. His face covered with scars, his firm eyes and powerful crushing mortals by a simple look ....

Once again, the eyes of Moana and Kong met, and they stood there, staring at each other for long minutes, none of which could act .... Maui witnessed this, with astonishment. It was as if the souls of Moana and Kong had come into connection with their eyes and they were talking to each other without opening their mouths. The Ocean's Chosen One and the King of Skull Island, two forces of the nature that everything could oppose, were now face to face, linked to each other .... a meeting of the most supernatural, thought the demigod .... he knew now, as they probably had to guess too ... a common destiny bound them....

After looking, Moana, though hesitant at first and slightly trembling, stepped forward a few steps, without a sudden gesture, to Kong, who still looked at her and did nothing. Moana was now on the edge of the cliff, the big face of the monkey being barely a yard away from her. She could feel the big warm breaths coming from her nostrils. Gently, the young woman reached out her hand and with her palm came to touch Kong's nose, which let her do it. Maui was speechless. Moana, she, felt the skin of this great king under her palm, and felt her fear fade away, giving way to a joy like no other. A tear of joy ran down her cheek and a smile appeared on her lips. She was not afraid of him anymore. She knew that he would never hurt her. Kong, in turn, raised one of his enormous hands, and with great delicacy, touched with the fingertip, the wavy hair of Moana, who let him do it. He could easily crush her with just one of his fingers like an insect, but she knew he would not do it.

After this physical contact, Moana gently removed her hand and took a few steps back to Maui, who joined her. Kong continued to watch them without doing anything.

But suddenly, an explosion was triggered not far, in a deforested part of the island at the edge of the river. A column of flames and smoke rose in the air. Moana and Maui were surprised, contemplating what had happened with concern, and saw Kong, scowling, also turn to the explosion and the flames, and uttering a fierce roar that echoed throughout the island . Moana said nothing, but deep inside her, she suspected who was responsible for that. Furious at the noise and what he saw as a new aggression on his territory, Kong began to move away in the direction of the flames, disappearing into the mist.

_ "Wagner ...." Moana sighed, clenching her fists.

_ "Come, we must join the others, now!" Maui warned, grabbing her by the wrist to take her with him without delay.


	13. Rise of the Devil

Rapunzel felt as if all her strength had been sucked by magic, and a migraine was sticking to her head. The mind completely fogged, she woke slowly, her eyes sticky, and had to wait a few seconds before her vision returned to normal.

The first thing she felt was that her hands had been placed behind her back and she could not move them anymore. Her wrists were hindered by .... ropes. And her ankles too when she tried to move them. Raising her head and moaning, the princess of Corona quickly realized his situation. She was lying on a soil covered with vegetation, tied up. Several sailors encircled her, all armed, and looked at her with bad smiles. She heard a familiar and unpleasant voice beside her.

_ "Our dear princess is finally awake ... Perfect, we can start then."

Rapunzel then saw Captain Wagner appear, leaning towards her and looking at her confidently. Rapunzel did not understand what was going on, but his horrified look went to Flynn and Tim, both on their knees, a few meters ahead. They too had their hands and ankles tied and were closely watched by sailors holding rifles.

_ "Flynn! Tim!" Rapunzel gasped in terror as she tried to get up to go to them, but a sailor held her firmly by the shoulders, forcing her to stay on her knees. Seeing his wife being abused before his eyes, Flynn turned red with anger and in turn tried to come help her.

_ "Do not touch her, you bastards!"

But quickly, Flynn was mastered by two sailors. Tim could not do anything but watch. The two lovers, separated by only a few meters but unable to join, looked each other in the eyes with a certain despair, Rapunzel not being able to hold back a tear to flow on her cheek. Wagner did not care and continued to oversee the preparations. Rapunzel saw that they were at the edge of a large lake, in a virgin space, and that several sailors were busy pouring barrels of oil into the lake, forming a huge black puddle, on which had been arranged other barrels, this time containing dynamite. A lot of dynamite.

_ "Wagner, have you lost your mind?!! Release us right now!! What you are doing here is treason!!" shouted Rapunzel, struggling against her strong bonds. The captain turned to her, looking like a madman, and grabbed her by the throat.

_ "No, my dear, I'm doing this for the Corona Kingdom! I'll show everyone how I, Captain Wagner, I will conquer this island in the name of our king!! .......... guys, gag them .... "

Wagner moved away to continue the trap. Rapunzel still wanted to protest energetically, but the sailor behind her silenced her by tying a white cloth around her mouth. Flynn and Tim, too, were gagged and firmly guarded by Wagner's men.

_ "Everything is in place?" Wagner asked one of his men, who nodded with conviction. Satisfied and showing a gloomy look, Wagner took a lantern and brandished it high, in front of all his men and three prisoners, before throwing it without hesitation to another group of barrels of dynamite, smaller, and having been arranged further on the bank. The barrels exploded, triggering a column of flames and black smoke that rose to the sky and lit the surrounding area with its red glow. Rapunzel, Flynn, and Tim stared at it all in horror. A few seconds passed, and a very powerful roar of fury, that of Kong, was heard in the distance, crossing the island and making all those who heard it shudder. Wagner smiles even more, preparing his pistol and his sword. He had managed to attract the attention of his prey, and was now waiting for him firmly, like all the other sailors who were preparing their weapons.

_ "Come here, monster ..." he murmured between his teeth.

***********

After seeing the explosion in the distance and seeing Kong, furious, head for the source of this phenomenon, Moana and Maui had not lost a single moment and had come down the cliff as quickly as possible. Moana had no proof, but she knew deep down who was responsible for the blast and had to warn others.

Unfortunately, when they arrived on the bank, they observed with horror that their friends were no longer there, the two canoes, abandoned.

_ "Princess Rapunzel! Flynn! Tim!" Moana screamed their names, but only the echo of his own voice answered her. The young woman was desperate, but Maui noticed the footprints of boots on the sand, and going in a particular direction.

_ "Moana!" he warned her and showed her the traces. Once again, it did not take long for Moana to guess what had happened.

_ "They are in danger ....... Kong is also in danger ...." she sighed, overwhelmed by the events. Maui, quieter, then held out his hand, looking at her with a more determined air.

_ "So, let's save them together ....."

************

Aligned side by side, on their knees, bound and gagged, Rapunzel, Flynn, and Tim stared helplessly, while the sailors, led by Captain Wagner, were all standing, facing the lake and lit by the immense flames that were standing next to them. Nobody spoke, but the silence was much more expressive, like the heavy and palpable atmosphere that reigned. The ground began to shake more and more, clouds of panicked birds flying from the jungle a little further away, like herds of animals fleeing from something huge on approach.

The trees of the jungle were suddenly brutally spread on the sides, while Kong's huge silhouette rose from the depths of the darkness. Standing and breathing hard, the monkey was looking ahead, noticing the flames that were spreading and setting fire around the lake ... but he also noticed the group of humans standing in the light and waiting for him . Kong recognized the one standing in front of him and was looking at him with a bad look and an unhealthy smile ..... clenching his teeth, his eyes burning and growling in nameless rage, Kong struck his chest with all his might, roaring at full strength, before rushing towards them, raising water waves around him.

Wagner smiled with all his teeth. Kong was so blinded by his anger at him that he did not see the trap. That's exactly what he hoped for. Terrified, Rapunzel, Flynn and Tim saw the great monkey coming towards them with boundless anger. But when Kong was at some distance, Wagner gave the signal and several sailors threw flaming torches at the water. The oil-filled water caught fire instantly, causing even larger flames to reach the barrels of dynamite on small makeshift rafts. An even more powerful and important explosion broke out, swallowing Kong entirely in his cloud of fire and smoke. The great ape did not have time to react and disappeared into the meanders.

The explosion covered most of the lake, and black and opaque fumes rose to the sky. The silence fell, as the sailors shouted their victory, congratulating each other. Wagner stood upright, gazing at the flames that devoured the lake, and feeling as if he had just accomplished something very big. Desesparated, Rapunzel, Flynn and Tim continued to watch, having seen Kong disappear into the flames. Was it ....?

But the joy was short-lived when popping like a devil in the flames, Kong appeared, enraged and roaring without stopping, his body covered in flames that gnawed at his fur. Three sailors barely had time to act and were immediately crushed by the monkey's arm. Taken by surprise, Wagner and the remaining sailors began running in panic, scattering and some opening fire on the monster. Seeing no one was paying attention to them, Rapunzel motioned for the others to try to crawl away from the confrontation.

One by one, the sailors were killed by Kong, made completely crazy. With his hand, Kong sent a wave of water covered with flames to several sailors, who were sprinkled and caught fire, screaming to death as they struggled. Kong caught men in his powerful hands, crushing them in his grip like insects and reducing them to bloody lint.

But suddenly, Kong stopped his madness, stopping and breathing more weakly, before collapsing heavily on the bank. Wagner and the three sailors who had survived then cautiously approached to find that the big monster had his eyes closed, and did not move at all, his huge body smoking and seriously injured. Hidden in the thickets and helping each other to get rid of their ties, Rapunzel, Flynn and Tim had witnessed the fall of the colossus, with anguish.

Wagner stepped forward and turned to his men, triumphant and raised his sword.

_ "My friends ..... today is a victory for Corona! Today we proved that Kong is not the king! Humans are the only kings!!"

The three sailors saluted their captain, raising their fists.

_”WAGNER!!”

The captain and the three sailors were taken by surprise by this strong female voice, and were even more surprised to see Moana and Maui arise and come between them and Kong. Moana glanced at Kong, and was horrified to see how he was. He did not move at all. Moana's heart squeezed ... was he dead?

Armed with rudimentary spears, Moana and Maui held their position against the sailors. Annoyed by this unexpected arrival, Wagner pointed his gun at them.

_ "Get out of my way! This monster must be eliminated!"

_ "The only monster I see here, Wagner, it's you!!" Moana snapped, angrily. Trembling with anger and mad face, Wagner prepared to shoot, but the sound of blows behind him caught his attention. The three sailors on his orders had just been stunned from behind, by Rapunzel, Flynn and Tim who had managed to break free and took up the seamen's weapons. Moana and Maui were glad to see their friends were safe and alive. Wagner swallowed. He was now completely surrounded.

_ "In the name of Corona's law, Captain Wagner, you are under arrest for treason and crimes against the kingdom and this island!" proclaimed Rapunzel with a sharp eye. However, although smaller in number, Wagner continued to show a real madness and screaming with rage, wanted to shoot Moana. A shot rang out suddenly, and Wagner froze, his eyes exhilarated. On his back, a stain of blood grew on his jacket, and the captain fell to his knees, then to the ground, lifeless. Tim stood there, the rifle still smoking in his hands and lowered his weapon. His friends looked at him and he looked ashamed of what he had done.

_ "He ... he did not give us the choice ...." Tim said. Rapunzel came to reassure him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

_ "You did the right thing. Thank you."

Meanwhile, Moana had approached Kong's face, as the latter still did not open his eyes. She also felt that no breath came from his mouth or nostrils. With her throat tied, tears emerging at the corner of her eyes, Motunui's young woman gently put her hands on Kong's face, caressing him delicately, and almost snuggled up against him in tears.

_ "Kong ..... wake up .... hear my voice ..... please ..."

But suddenly, the center of the lake rose abruptly, like a mountain rising from it, and the ground shook, while a gigantic and reptilian form, dripping with water and foam, rose, letting out a violent shrill roar . The creature was almost 30 meters tall and 60 meters long. It was another of those demons, the skull crawlers, but much bigger than the ones Moana had seen. All were petrified with fear by this monstrosity that had emerged from underground, surely awakened by the explosions of Wagner. Maui recognized him with horror. This skull crawler was even more terrifying than the others, his body covered with many scars, remnants of the many fighting between him and Kong.

_ "Oh no .... it's the Big One!! Run!" shouted the demigod. Flynn grabbed Rapunzel by the hand and the couple started running very fast, followed closely by Tim who was completely scared. Moana froze with fear as the big skull crawler walked slowly and slowly towards them. And suddenly, a loud growl was heard just behind her and made her turn her head. Kong's red eyes opened and stared directly at Moana. The young woman gasped. He is alive!

But she did not have time to rejoice that Maui's hand grabbed her by the wrist to take her with him as fast as possible. Kong began to straighten up, with great difficulty, his body bruised and turned his dark eyes towards his sworn enemy, the skull crawler who had killed his entire family, and was approaching him.

Moana and Maui had reached the edge of the forest, where the others were waiting for them, but Moana stopped, more than worried, and could not help but want to run to help Kong. The skull crawler roared and jumped on Kong who barely had time to get up and was blocked on the ground. Kong tried to free himself, trying to ward off his enemy, but he was still too weak. The skull crawler had no trouble getting the upper hand, grabbing Kong's head between his claws and slamming the head against the floor. Kong, again, did not move, while the skull crawler, roaring with triumph, stood above him.

_"NO!!" Moana shouted, wainting to go to help the king of Skull Island, but was grabbed by Maui at the waist, who took her with him by force.

_ "Kong is down! We must go, now!!"

The last of the great apes defeated at his feet, the great skull crawler lifted his muzzle to the night sky and let out a loud roar across the island, letting everyone heard who was now the new sovereign.


	14. Battle for Skull Island part 1

A pale sun had risen on this new day on Skull Island. A morning imbued with the sign of fear. All the fauna of the island seemed to have felt inside them. The herds of herbivores fled, the flocks of birds flew into the air, abandoning their nests ..... the balance of the island began to dangerously collapse.  
Moana, Maui, Rapunzel, Flynn, and Tim had been running for the rest of the night, fleeing through the thick, damp jungle, still hearing in the distance the awful and fierce roars of the giant Skull Crawler, coming closer more and more. He tracked them down. Moana felt her heart racing as she ran, not only because of the intense fear she felt about the monster chasing them, but also because of the sadness she felt ..... through Wagner's fault and his men, Kong had been seriously injured and could not do the weight against the Skull Crawler .... now, Kong was most likely dead, which devastated the young woman of Motunui .... without him, nothing could not stop the devil of the island from ruling as an absolute master.  
The group had finally emerged from the jungle and was now running through wide swampy plains surrounded by cliffs and small granite mountains covered with climbing vegetation. The wet and muddy terrain made progress very difficult. Flynn helped Rapunzel, taking her by the hand. But as she ran, Moana suddenly decided to stop, right in the middle of the bog, and face determined, turned to face the edge of the jungle that was now several hundred meters.  
Seeing her doing, the others also stopped running.  
_ "Moana, what are you doing?!" Rapunzel asked, raising her eyebrows, worried.  
_ "Keep going, I'll get his attention on me!!" she replied firmly, her eyes focused, although she was trembling with certain fear. The rest of the group wondered if she had lost her mind.  
_"Are you crazy or what?" Maui retorted, strongly opposing this idea. "You come with us!"  
_ "Hurry up, he'll be here!!" Flynn screamed, panicked. Maui stepped forward to grab Moana by the wrist and force her to come, but with a simple, steady look over her shoulder towards her demigod friend, Moana gave an order to the water around her, a wall of water forming between her and Maui, separating them.  
_ "Moana! No!!" Maui screamed, trying to pass through the wall of water, which oddly enough, was as hard as a stone wall. Rapunzel, Flynn and Tim, seeing this, tried to pass as well, but without success.  
_ "Moana, don't do this!!" begged Tim.  
_ "You don't have to sacrifice yourself for us!!" added Rapunzel, on the verge of tears. Seeing the troubled reflections of her friends behind the wall of water, striking and pleading for her to come back, Moana felt her throat knot, and tears born on the corners of her eyes.  
_ "I'm sorry ....." she sighed, before continuing to face the jungle armed with her simple spear. She knew full well that she had no chance of defeating that monster, but at least she could give her friends enough time to escape from that hell. Moana was standing upright, feeling her hand tremble, her heart pounding hard and the sweat forming on her forehead.  
The earth shook in a steady rhythm of heavy and fast footsteps, then, the trees of the edge of the jungle were suddenly crushed or spread, by the arrival of the imposing Skull Crawler, whose disguting jaw covered with scars left escape a furious grunt. The monster sniffed profusely around him, only to finally see this young human woman, alone, several hundred meters away from him, facing him as if she were waiting for him. Moana was very scared, but tried not to show it.  
_ "Do you claim to be master of this island?!" she exclaimed provocatively, dismissing her arms forcefully "But know that you will never be the king!"  
Hearing this, the Skull Crawler roared with fury and rushed towards this insolent little prey, which he was going to be happy to crush like the insect she is. On the other side of the water wall, the rest of the group had also heard the roar, only accentuating their fears.  
_ "MOANA! RUN AWAY! SAVE YOUR LIFE!!" screamed Maui, desesperate.  
Faced with this gigantic nightmarish creature that came upon her, Moana had to admit to being terrified, but did that to help her friends. She thought for a last time about her island, her parents, her tribe, knowing that she would never see them again ..... closing her eyes, she seemed to accept her fate.  
But as the Skull Crawler was no more than a hundred meters from her, a different yet familiar roar echoed through the area, opening Moana's eyes and disrupting the Skull Crawler who wanted to look over his shoulder. But as soon as he watched, Kong appeared, jumping into the air from a cliff and violently crushed a huge rock in the head of the Skull Crawler. More than stupefied, Moana retreated very quickly, as the rock burst into pieces on the head of the Skull Crawler who growled in pain, fell heavily backwards, making the ground shaking and lifting tons of water and dirt in his fall.  
The wall of water eventually falls, allowing Maui and the others to join Moana. They too were both surprised and reassured to see Kong, standing on his feet, facing the Skull Crawler, who, stunned by the shock, was rising in the mud and water. Moana remained silent, her eyes round and a tear of joy running down her cheek. Kong .... he is alive! Hope resurfaced in her heart.  
Kong looked at her briefly, as if to make sure she was fine, before concentrating her furious glance at her enemy .... Ramarak, the alpha of the Skull Crawlers ..... he had killed all his family, and had also killed Tehela during the attack of the lair, a long time ago ..... this monster had taken everything to Kong .... but not this time!  
Kong and Ramarak were now facing each other, in the middle of the big bog and cliffs, for their ultimate face to face. This time, one of them would lose his life. The finale clash of kings was about to begin.  
_ "Go, go, we must no stay here!" Maui ordered as the two titans faced each other, throwing their loud roars as a means of intimidation. The rest of the group began to follow him without hesitation, although Moana had a moment's hesitation in leaving Kong alone against this enemy.  
_ "Kong .... you must win .... I believe in you ..." Moana prayed, before starting to run with her friends, towards the nearest cliffs. From the corner of his eye, seeing Motunui's young woman and her friends move away, Kong was able to focus fully on his fight.  
After a furious roar, it was Ramarak who acts first, leaping forward with surprising agility despite his great size. Kong stood ready and with his hand, blocked Ramarak's jaw that had tried to bite him and pushed the Skull Crawler to the side. Ramarak, in his tracks, quickly got back on his feet and jumped again, this time blocking Kong, back against a granite cliff. Without respite, Ramarak closed his powerful jaws on Kong's throat, making him roar in pain. With his head and back violently hitting the shaking cliff, Kong struggled with all his strength, with one hand trying to remove the jaw from his enemy, and with his other hand, struck several violent punches in the ribs of Ramarak, but ths one did not let go.  
As she ran, Moana stared and gasped at seeing Kong in bad situation. No, this time she would not let him die! Gathering her courage, she moved away from the group's path and began to run, alone, towards the cliffs close to the fight of the titans.  
_ "MOANA!!" Rapunzel shouted as she saw her.  
_"I'm going to take her!!" Maui told them, running after her and urging others to continue without stopping.  
Still strangling by Ramarak, Kong managed to grab the jaws with his hands, and with all his physical strength, managed to remove them from his throat, catching his breath. Blocked and struggling, Ramarak let out shrill whistles as Kong continued to hold him as firmly as possible.  
Annoyed, Kong grabbed Ramarak by the neck and hit the head against the wall of the cliff. Eager to finish it as soon as possible, Kong gained momentum and tried to crush the head of the giant reptile with a violent elbow blow. Unfortunately, Ramarak in a reflex, moved in time, the elbow of the giant monkey coming suddenly hit the cliff and making it tremble even more.  
Like a snake, Ramarak leaped forward, biting fiercely at one of Kong's wrists, which roared with pain, and jumped at full weight. The two titans began a violent scrum, raising clouds of water, dirt and mud in their wake and shaking the ground. Ramarak used his tail like a snake to surround Kong's body and block him, while biting and scratching him. Kong used his physical strength and hands to hit as hard as possible, and to deflect the Skull Crawler's bites as much as possible. A veritable torrent of violence, roars and blows.  
Meanwhile, Moana had climbed with all her strength and as fast as she could, finally reaching the top of one of the cliffs and now having a bird's eye view of the bog and the fight, with the two great creatures in the center of this natural arena. Maui ends up joining her.  
_ "Moana, damn it, but what are you doing?!" asked the demigod more worried than really angry. Moana immediately put her hand away from his wrist.  
_ "I can't leave Kong, Maui, I have to help him!" she retorted firmly.  
Maui seemed circumspect with this answer.  
_ "But what do you want to do, exactly? Kong is the only one who can defeat Ramarak!"  
_ "That's wrong, remember the prophecy, in the temple !!" said Moana. Maui could see the despair in her eyes. "... you know just like me that alone, Kong will be defeated in the last fight against the great Skull Crawler, but that the girl from the ocean can help him to win the victory!"  
_ "But, I thought you did not believe that prophecy, that you were not that girl!" Maui said, remembering very well the young woman's reaction.  
Moana sighed, remembering very well too.  
_ "It was you who was right!" she answered, recognizing her mistake. "I was selfish to think only of my own survival ..... but I have to help Kong ..... I can't let him die ..... I don't have the right .... "  
Maui had listened to Moana's tone, and really felt the affection and concern she felt for the great King of Skull Island. Maui recognized the young woman with whom he had crossed the ocean, and put his hand on her shoulder.  
_ "In this case, let me help you." he said with his determined gaze. Moana smiled, thanking him and nodded with pleasure.  
Meanwhile, the fight continued to rage. Standing in the bog, Kong struggled furiously, Ramarak having managed to climb on his shoulders and was trying to bite his head. Kong struck him on the chin with a violent setback, managing to free himself from the grip of Ramarak who fell heavily into the water, stunned by the blow he received.  
Taking advantage of his freedom of movement, Kong grabbed the trunk of a moss-covered tree in his hands and pulled it off the ground effortlessly, while Ramarak stood up, grunting and hissing. The dark gaze fixed on his enemy, Kong, with one of his hands, got rid of all the branches along the trunk, transforming it into a real club ready for use.  
Paying no attention to this, Ramarak rushed again, all teeth outside. Kong, grunting ferociously, also launched the attack, the trunk in hand. Once near, Kong used all his strength to strike a side blow. The trunk exploded into pieces, striking Ramarak's head, which, as a result of the shock, fell and rolled to the side for several meters. In shock, Maui noticed something that was ejected from Ramarak's mouth and fell into the mud in the middle of the bog. His fish hook!!


	15. Battle for Skull Island part 2

As the two titans fought, Princess Rapunzel, Flynn, and Tim continued to flee, by order of Maui, to the great wreck of what was once a majestic ship, covered in moss and moisture and whose hull was now half buried in the marshy waters of the peat bog.  
Out of breath, Rapunzel, a rifle in hand, looked over his shoulder worriedly, seeing further Moana and Maui at the top of one of the granite cliffs, not far from the clash of the giant monsters.  
_ "We can not stay without doing anything, they will be killed!" said the young princess of Corona.  
_ "And what do you want us to do? Our weapons can not do anything against these things!" Flynn answered anxiously, raising his voice. Tim watched them both, then his rifle in his shaking, dirty hands, then stared at Moana further. The young moth trembled with fear, swallowed, but decided not to act like a coward.  
_ "If you have an idea, princess, I follow you." Tim said with determination, to which Rapunzel smiled and looked at her husband in the eye, placing her hand against his cheek.  
_ "And you Flynn .... or should I say, Eugene .... are you with us?"  
The young man sighed heavily and smiled at his wife.  
_ "You know very well that yes."  
********* 

_ "My hook!" Maui said with a big smile, after seeing his magic weapon, which he thought was lost, being expelled from Ramarak's mouth after a violent blow from Kong. The weapon was now on the ground, in the mud, just waiting to be picked up. Maui prepared to go down to get it, but Moana held him back.  
_ "Maui, stop! It's too dangerous!" she warned, seeing that the monsters were too close to try anything.  
_ "I need this hook, Moana, you know it! With our unified powers, Kong will have a better chance of winning!"  
Moana hesitated, not wanting her friend to risk his life, but deep down he was right. They had to put all the chances on their side. She nodded softly, letting go of her arm. Maui smiled at her, thanking her, and began to descend. Moana stayed on top of the cliff, preparing her spear.  
Meanwhile, just in the middle of the cliffs and bog, the battle of giant creatures continued. After receiving the violent blow of a tree trunk in his head, Ramarak had risen up, furious, and gaining momentum, had climbed one of the cliffs at high speed to gain height, under the gaze perplexed from Kong. The Skull Crawler then leaps into the air, towards his opponent. But Kong had planned this attack and grabbed Ramarak in the air, by the throat, with a firm hand. But Ramarak was unleashed, wrapping his long snake tail around Kong's body and trying to bite him and slap him with violent claws. Kong roared, blocking one of the arms with his other hand, but received a scratch on his face from Ramarak's second hand. Kong gave Ramarak a head blow, dizzying him, but not enough to push him away.  
Ramarak managed to gain the upper hand in the fierce fight, scratching Kong's face again, and managing to pass over him, used the momentum and strength of his body to catapult Kong into the air with his tail. The great ape could not do anything, stunned by the blow received and was thrown several meters, under the horrified eyes of Moana.  
Rapunzel, Flynn and Tim had just enough time to flee at a safe distance, seeing Kong's huge body crashing violently into the ship's wreck, smashing it into two and crumbling the masts on him. The ground had trembled under the impact and the water had been lifted several meters into the air.  
Seeing what happened, Maui hurried through the muddy water and the tall grass, and finally grabbed his hook, which he grabbed into his hand and felt all his powers come back to him.  
Kong shook his head, regaining his senses to see that he was lying in the muddy water in the middle of a ship wreck and was now trapped in the ropes and chains of the sails. He wanted to try to free his body and his arms but the chains were still very strong despite the rust. Kong groaned in fury, trapped, and then saw Ramarak coming up to him, roaring with triumph at seeing his enemy on the ground, at his mercy. Kong glared at him angrily, but Ramarak seemed almost to revel in his superiority over the monkey, coming heavily to lay his clawed paw on Kong's chest to keep him from moving.  
From the top of the cliff, Moana was horrified, seeing the skull crawler approaching his gaping, salivating jaw close to Kong's helpless face.  
_ "KONG!!" Moana screamed in tears, and with all her might, threw her spear.  
While Ramarak was about to put an end to the life of the last of the great apes, he was suddenly struck by Moana's spear, which reaches him in one of his eyes. Roaring with pain, the skull crawler pulled back abruptly, and with his claws, scratched his face to try to pull the spear out of his eye. Kong watched with perplexity, but quickly looked at the cliff, where this young human woman with black waving hair was kneeling, panting. Kong's eyes lit up. She had saved him.  
Ramarak groaned in pain, managing to break the spear and pull it out of his eye, but was suddenly attacked in the face by a small flying form and very fast, uttering loud and sharp war screams. Moana recognized this scream, with hope. Maui had regained its powers and turned into a brown hawk. Annoyed, Ramarak gave jaws or claws blows to try to reach Maui, but the demigod was too fast and small for him. With its raptor talons and its beak, Maui attacked the eyes of the skull crawler, trying to annoy him as much as possible and to blind him.  
Suddenly, detonations sounded in the air and three projectiles struck the skull crawler in the neck and head, but were comparable to insect bites for him. Grumbling with fury, he turned his gaze to see the three little humans, several hundred meters from him, who had just shot. Their rifles in their hands, Rapunzel, Flynn and Tim swallowed, seeing the great reptile turn their attention on them.  
_"And now?" Flynn asked, shaking with fear.  
_ "Reload your rifles and keep firing! We must get his attention as much as possible!" Rapunzel ordered, though she also showed some fear.  
Noting this group of humans who came to help him, Kong knew he had a chance. One by one, he used all his physical strength, managing to break the ropes and chains that held him. Seeing him do it, Moana helped him again. Commander in the water by the thought, she made spout water arms of the peat bog that then came to help Kong break his shackles. Seeing these arms of water coming to his aid, Kong was at first very surprised, but accepted the help, breaking another chain.  
Unfortunately, Moana found that his friends were now in big trouble. Maui, though very fast, did not take enough care and was hit violently by Ramarak's paw. The demigod was thrown several meters to the ground and crashed into the marshy waters. Stripped of this embarrassment, Ramarak roared with anger and ran towards Rapunzel, Flynn and Tim, who seeing him do, had to start running as fast as they could.  
_ "Come on, you bastard !!" screamed Tim at the monster to try to draw attention to him and allow the royal Corona couple to flee.  
The young moss fired again with his rifle, without causing injuries to the skull crawler who was approaching him dangerously.  
Farther back, put back on his feet, Kong broke his last chains, uttering a loud animal roar, then noticed that one of his wrists was still tied to a chain, itself being connected to the old and large rusty anchor of the ship. Seeing this, Kong seemed to think of something and growled.  
Suddenly, everyone was frozen in horror. Tim, who had attracted Ramarak's attention to him, had just paid the price. The big lizard had thrown his tail in a violent rotary motion, which had hit the young moss full force. Moana, Maui, Rapunzel, and Flynn stood petrified with horror and horror as Tim's body flew in the air for several meters and crashed into the muddy water.  
_ "TIM!!" Rapunzel shouted, trying to get to him, but was restrained by her husband. Maui, who had managed to regain his senses and come out of the water, sighed heavily. From the top of the cliff, Moana fell to her knees, also desperate by what she had just seen. A tear ran down her cheek.  
_ "Tim ..." she sighed sadly. Moana was all the more desperate when Ramarak approached Rapunzel and Flynn to kill them.  
But suddenly, Moana noticed Kong's upset roar, and saw Kong gain momentum and using the strength of his arm to launch the chain attached to his wrist like a kind of whip. Moana gaped at this vision. The rusty but still sharp anchor, connected at the end of the chain, acts as a kind of giant hook and hit the flesh of Ramarak's shoulder, knocking him back into the bog and stopping him in his race.  
Huddled together, Rapunzel and Flynn were amazed at what they saw, while Maui gave a glimpse of hope, just like Moana. Pulling on the chain, Kong gradually brought Ramarak back to him, the latter struggling furiously, dragged in the water and the mud with the anchor of the ship embedded in his flesh. After bringing his enemy back to him, Kong wrapped the chain around the neck to start trying to strangle the skull crawler to death.  
Freed from the monster's threat, Rapunzel and Flynn began running hand-in-hand to Tim's body.  
Kong and Ramarak were fighting again in close combat, both falling backwards and shaking the earth and raising the water in their wake. With one hand, Kong closed the jaws of the lizard, and with his other hand grabbed the anchor in the shoulder, and lifted Ramarak on his shoulders and then brutally crushed him to the ground. Carried away and blinded by his rage and his hatred for the skull crawler, Kong caught him by the tail, turning on himself and threw him with all his might against the nearest cliff. Ramarak's body hit the rock wall at full speed and with extreme violence, causing a powerful landslide and almost exploding the cliff into pieces. Moana, who was on the cliff and had no time to escape, shrieked and was thrown back into the air by the violence of the impact.  
Kong then noticed his mistake, seeing the young woman falling from the cliff's heights, and showed an expression of fear for her. Maui, too, from his position, had seen her fall.  
_ "MOANA!!" the demigod screamed, wanting to run to help her, but fell on his knees grimacing in pain, still suffering the blow Ramarak had received. Rapunzel and Flynn had seen them too, the young princess covering her mouth with horror and tears in her eyes.  
Moana fell into the murky waters of the peat bog, and having lost consciousness, began to slowly sink to the dark depths.  
Kong wanted to act, but was attacked again by Ramarak who threw himself on him, rolling them both in the mud. Kong punched hard, then pulled the anchor out of the lizard's flesh to hold it in his hand and use it as a melee weapon.  
Raging, Ramarak leaped forward to bite Kong, but he avoided it by moving sideways and took advantage of his enemy's momentum to hit him on the top of the skull with the anchor, causing him to fall heavily on the ground. Ramarak wanted to get up, but Kong was waiting for him and gave a violent blow from bottom to top with the sharp side of the anchor, tearing deeply the skull crawler's throat, causing a sheaf of blood to spurt out. His throat cutted, Ramarak froze before falling heavily into the mud, inert, at the feet of Kong, standing, breathing hard and dropping the anchor at his feet in a heavy groan.  
******** 

Moana could barely open her eyes, feeling the cold of the water penetrate her flesh and blood. She could see nothing but the darkness of the marshy waters, as well as the few rays of daylight that filtered through it. The young woman had no strength, unable to move to swim and rise to the surface. The vision of her island, of her family, of her friends, passed through her mind .... she also thought of Kong ... so it would be that she would die, swallowing by the waters of this island of the edge of the world....  
But suddenly, the daylight was covered by a big shadow and Moana then saw a giant and gnarly hand enter the water and come gently take it to bring her to the surface.  
Moana felt herself lift into the air, feeling fresh air and wind on her face and body again, as well as her breathing. She saw the sky again, so big, so beautiful. Then, turning her gaze weak, she saw him too. Kong ... his big face was there, looking at her, concerned, as he held her preciously in the palm of his huge hand. Recapping the water from her lungs and coughing, Moana slowly felt her breath and smiled, looking at the big ape in the eyes. Seeing her alive, Kong seemed reassured and grunted softly.  
The young woman from the ocean and the king of Skull Island looked at each other for a few seconds in the utmost silence. Moana, kneeling in the middle of that huge hand, could not stop smiling. He had saved her life, as she had done before. Again, she felt this unique link between her and the titan ...  
_ "Thank you .... great king ...." Moana sighed softly, shedding a tear of joy from her eye. Kong seemed to understand her, emitting a neutral grunt and nodding gently.  
But their meeting was suddenly interrupted by the surprise attack of Ramarak, who jumped on Kong's back. The two monsters rolled several meters on the ground. Moana, who gave a cry of surprise, was immediately covered by Kong's hand, which closed on her and protected her in the violent tumult. Kong, roaring with anger, pushed Ramarak away from him and faced him. Having been shaken a lot, Moana was still in Kong's hand, who opened her fingers again to check that the girl was fine. Although he could have easily crushed her in his hand like an insect, Moana was admiring to see that Kong had mastered his grip so as not to crush her.  
Moana stared ferociously at the big skull crawler, still alive, who was about to jump on the attack. Summoning her water-related power, Moana lifted her hands, gushing big geysers of water from the peat bog that struck Ramarak violently on the sides, annoying him more than really wounding him. Annoyed, the monster roars while trying to move forward. Kong seized the moment to violently push his other hand deep into Ramarak's mouth, and pulling with all his might, tore the inside of the jaw and part of Ramarak's throat, and his brain, in a crackling filthy flesh and bone. Moana looked away, disgusted. Vomiting a cascade of blood, Ramarak again fell heavily to the ground, this time never to rise again.  
Moana gasped at the violence, but was also reassured to see that it was over. Kong had won.  
Putting his foot on the body of the great skull crawler and holding Moana in one of his hands, Kong struck his chest firmly with his second hand and let out a loud roar that echoed throughout the island, claiming his own title of undefeated king of Skull Island.


	16. I Have to Leave

The fight was finally over. Kong had managed to kill the great skull crawler, bringing balance to Skull Island, but also avenged the death of his parents, and also Tehela ...  
After defeating his enemy, Kong breathed heavily, the body bruised and with several bleeding wounds, but he would live anyway. Moana worried about him, but he was strong.  
Kneeling down, the giant monkey gently put his hand on the ground, allowing Moana to descend from his palm and return to the mainland. The young woman had recovered some strength and standing on a rock at the edge of the murky water, looked up at Kong, who still on his knees, continued to look at her. Looking into the powerful eyes of the titan, Moana still felt crushed by this presence, but also protected, knowing that Kong would never hurt her. He was a protector, not a destroyer. For long seconds, the young woman and the great monkey remained silent, looking at each other as if frozen in time, engraving that moment in their memory. Moana felt her heart beating hard, and smiling, put her hand on her chest and bowed respectfully to the titan, who saw her doing, made a slight friendly grunt. Moana was surprised to see him do the same, bowing his head in a respectful nod.  
Although she was the size of an insect in relation to him, Kong saw in her, strength, courage, like Tehela once.  
Then, after that silence, Kong slowly straightened up on his big feet, towering above Moana, and with a heavy, slow step, began to move toward the central lands of the island. Moana watched him, but was immediately drawn to a familiar voice behind her.  
_ "Moana!!"  
The young woman turned to see Maui running towards her and hug her tightly. The demigod was more than reassured, fearing that she was dead in the confrontation of the monsters. Moana was also happy to see him again and hugged him too. The two of them then watched Kong leave, without looking back, and surely reach his lair to rest after this infernal struggle.  
_"He is incredible." Moana sighed, looking at him.  
_"Oh yeah." replied Maui, quite in agreement. Moana smiled, but was sad to see him leave as well. Kong paused for a brief moment, glancing back over her shoulder at her, and seemed to be smiling, before resuming her slow march to the heights of the island. Moana and Maui watched him leave for a few more minutes, then decided to join their friends, where a sad sight awaited them.  
********   
Moana and Maui arrived side by side in the biggest and heavy silence, among the tall wild grasses. In front of them, Rapunzel and Flynn were kneeling in the mud, around the still body of the young moss, Tim. The young man was lying on his back, blood around his mouth and breathing very weakly. Flynn looked sad, sad, and Rapunzel let tears run down her cheeks, holding Tim's hand in hers.  
_ "He ... he is dying ...." sighed the princess of Corona, helplessly. Moana, her heart beating and saddened, came to kneel with Tim, looking him in the eyes and seeing his wounds more than serious.  
_"We can not do anything?" she asked, turning to Maui. The defeatist expression of the demigod confirmed her fears. Coughing blood, Tim managed to use his last strength to come and take the hand of Moana, who let him. Despite the pain, he smiles, tears in his eyes.  
_ "I ... I wanted to prove my worth ... to show that I was not the coward that everyone thought ..."  
_ "You've never been a coward, Tim ..." Moana replied sadly "... you did not have to prove anything."  
_ "But I had to protect the royal couple from Corona ..." Tim said, turning his eyes to Rapunzel and Flynn "... because that is the duty of a patriot of the kingdom."  
_ "You didn't have to sacrifice your life for us." Flynn said. Tim understood, but did not seem to regret the choice he had made. He squeezed Moana's hand in his own, feeling life leave him more and more, his vision becoming blurred and veiling from an obscure, more and more opaque veil.  
_ "It was an honor to meet you ... Moana ..." he murmured in his dying voice. With tears in her eyes, Moana clenched her teeth, her heart shattered, and kissed Tim's forehead with a sincere kiss.  
_ "All the honor was for me ..." she answered with all the sincerity possible. Tim smiled, then exhaled his last breath, closing his eyes forever and his hand releasing Moana's to fall to the ground, motionless.  
_ "It's over ... he's gone ..." Moana sighed sadly, head down, putting his hand on Tim's forehead. Rapunzel took refuge in Flyn's arms, hiding her face in his shoulder and crying. Maui was sorry for them and also affected by this loss. Moana picked up one of the small seashells that she used as an earring and placed it in Tim's hand, closing his fist and placing it on his chest, so that part of her would always accompany him in his travel in the other world.  
Gathered around the corpse of the brave young man who died as a hero, the group of survivors made a minute's silence for the repose of his soul, supporting each other in sadness and pain. Around them, the warm, gentle winds of the island rose, heading for the blue ocean. Moana felt in that wind, the powerful and benevolent presence of the goddess Te Fiti, who also expressed the pain that the young felt in her heart.  
**********   
A few hours later, after a slow and painful march, the Moana group had finally reached the beach, feeling the warm, dry sand beneath their feet and seeing the immense expanse of blue water as far as the eye could see, the fine waves coming to lick the edge. Tim's corpse was buried worthily on the edge of the beach, facing the sea, and again, the group made a minute of silence around the grave, whose engraved stone that was placed by Maui, would now be rocked forever by the winds from the open sea.  
Hope returned for the group when suddenly, a large and majestic white veil adorned with the coat of arms of Corona appeared on the horizon. A large and powerful ship had arrived, throwing anchor near the shore and several boats were put to sea to reach the beach. Among the many sailors in the rowboats, Rapunzel and Flynn recognized two people in particular: the King and Queen of Corona! They had come in person!  
The sovereign couple of Corona landed on the sand of the beach, escorted by sailors and guards, and it was an immense relief for the king and queen to see their daughter alive.  
_"Mother father!" Rapunzel cried with joy, snuggling in their arms.  
_ "Oh my daughter, I was so scared!!" the queen cried in her turn, clutching her daughter with force.  
_ "We were so worried .... why did you leave this way?!" asked the king, both happy to see his daughter again, but also eager for explanations. Rapunzel grimaced with embarrassment, feeling guilty for causing them so much concern. Flynn joined them, the king and queen being reassured to see him too.   
_ "Where are Captain Wagner and the crew?" asked the king, looking around him, perplexed. Rapunzel and Flynn exchanged the same pained look.  
_ "There's only us ..." Flynn explained. "Wagner was a traitor, majesty, and his madness at costing life to a large number of men."  
_ "There were so many sacrifices ...." Rapunzel said, her throat tight "... but luckily we were not alone ..."  
On these words, she proudly pointed to Moana and Maui, who stood behind and dared not advance to all the white people they did not know. Rapunzel then invited her parents to meet Moana and the demigod.  
_ "Mother ... father ... let me introduce Moana, leader of the Motunui tribe, and Maui, demigod of the sea." said the Princess of Corona. In front of these presentations, the king and the queen appeared at first very surprised, but trusting their daughter, greeted the two natives with respect, to which Moana and Maui also saluted.  
_ "King and Queen of Corona, it's an honor to meet you." Moana said with respect.  
Suddenly, the meeting was disturbed by the sound of a heavy and regular step, shaking slightly the ground and surprising everyone.  
As she turned around, Moana stopped being worried and smiled as she saw Kong appear from behind the hills and step forward unhesitatingly towards the beach. At the sight of this great monster, the king and queen, as well as all the sailors and soldiers of Corona, remained frozen with fear, but Rapunzel and Flynn acted to reassure the sovereigns and the crew, beckoning the guards to lower their numbers. weapons immediately.  
_ "Oh my god ...." sighed the king, stupefied.  
From his stern look, dominating his colossal size, Kong gazed at this group of little humans in front of him, showing a face at once neutral but severe, hinting at his deep breaths.  
_ "Mother .... father .... I present to you the king and god of this island ..... King Kong." Rapunzel said proudly. The king and the queen remained open-mouthed before this creature who defied all the beliefs and logic of this world.   
At first hesitating, Corona's guards lowered all their rifles, trembling like leaves and not daring to move.  
The king and queen were all the more surprised when they saw the young woman, Moana, advance without fear towards the giant monkey, the latter then looking at her. Kong dropped to one knee and tilted his huge body forward to get closer to the ground and see her better. Moana saw him doing, still as impressed by the size and power of this creature, this god ...  
Kong's face was now only one meter from Moana, covering her entire field of vision. She could feel the warm breath of his big nostrils coming to whip her face and make her black hair fly. Back, all watched this supernatural scene with admiration for some, fear for others. Not saying a word at first, Moana and Kong looked at each other for seconds that seemed eternal, then, the young woman decided to speak.  
_ "Kong ...."  
she spoke in a calm and timid voice, showing a smile on her lips. The glow in the giant monkey's iris indicated an understanding and he emitted a neutral roar, as a sort of answer.  
_ "I, Moana of Motunui, is eternally grateful to you for saving us, and for accepting to leave us alive. You are a great and worthy king, you are our savior to all."  
With these words, Moana rested her knees on the ground and bowed to the titan. The king, queen and soldiers were at first surprised to see Princess Rapunzel, but also Flynn and Maui do the same and kneel respectfully before the creature.  
_ "What Captain Wagner did was unforgivable ..." Rapunzel said "... attacking this island was unforgivable, and in the name of Corona, I apologize, hoping you will forgive us. For the good of all, it is better for this land to remain in the hands of its legitimate and only sovereign .... King Kong."  
_"Long live the king!" Maui and Moana said proudly.   
Faced with this decision, the king and queen of Corona would have wanted to protest, but faced with the insistent look of their daughter, they could only surrender. Sighing heavily, the king delivered his verdict.  
_ "Corona gives up all desire to take control of this new land."  
Happy to hear that, Rapunzel hugged his father, thanking him. Moana was reassured too.   
_ "Let's get out of here now, let's go home." said the queen, placing her hand on her daughter's shoulder. Rapunzel nodded, and Flynn too. The soldiers began to embark again in the rowboats to return to the ship.  
_ "Moana ....."  
The young woman turned around and saw Maui show him a look at once reassured to leave, but sorry for her. "It's time to go."  
_ "But ..... and Kong?" she replied, her heart beating.  
_ "Kong is at home here, but not you ..... think of your parents and your people .... they will always need you."  
He was right, she knew it. But her connection with Kong had become so strong now that she felt bond to him. She did not want to leave him anymore, stay with him.   
But on the other hand, she did not have the right to be selfish and to abandon her family. Torn in two, Moana poured a tear, her throat tight.  
_ "That means .... that I will never see him again?" she said in tears. Maui could not answer that and sighed heavily. Faced with this reaction, Moana was even more broken.  
_ "I'll leave you alone for a few moments, you'll join us at the rowboats when you're ready." said Maui, before turning around and walking away to the others. Kong remained calm, watching all this with a watchful eye and saw again the young woman from the ocean come to him, but this time, showing a sad face, drowned in tears.  
_ "I ..... I'm sorry, Kong .... but I have to ..... leave now .... I have to go back to my family .... they .... they need me ... "she spoke, her throat gripped by sadness and struggled in vain not to cry, her fists clenched. Kong reacts calmly, but shows a disappointed expression in his eyes, emitting a darker groan. Nevertheless, she lives in one's gaze, which he understands.  
With his giant hand, and the tip of one of his fingers, he came very gently touching Moana's hair. She let him do it, then walked to his muzzle, gently resting her hand and touching it one last time. Moana spread her arms and snuggled against Kong's muzzle in a hug, then kissed his muzzle.  
_ "Goodbye ..... my king ....." she sighed sadly, wishing that this moment would remain frozen forever.  
Moments later, after struggling not to crack, Moana had joined her surviving friends in the rowboats, who slowly slipped on the peaceful water and away from this island, towards the royal ship. Rapunzel, Flynn and Maui supported Moana with all their strength, because they too could never forget this adventure.  
Once on the royal ship, Moana took a slow, absent step towards the bastinage, and feeling her hair fluttering in the wind, cast a last sad glance towards this island, at once majestic and monstrous, that kingdom of monsters.  
Kong was standing on the beach, contemplating the departure of this human ship, and despite the distance, could see Moana look him in the eyes. Once again, he would be alone, but stronger than ever. Striking with force and pride on his chest with his powerful fists, Kong gave a loud roar that made the air vibrate and resounded throughout the island and beyond, as a farewell to Moana, but also a warning to all monsters who would dare to challenge him around the world...... the king was here!

THE END


	17. Epilogue

Some times after this adventure on Skull Island, Princess Rapunzel had resumed her calm and peaceful life in the royal capital of Corona. But how can one resume a normal life after what she had seen? She could not.  
Now aware of the existence of such creatures in this world, she could not have remained without acting. She had tirelessly examined and studied all the ancient beliefs and legends she had found in grimoires, parchments, and other artifacts, sometimes spending entire nights reading.  
In the end, what she discovered went beyond anything she could have imagined .... the monsters and gods were real, not just on Skull Island .... they were everywhere! Moreover, the king and queen of Corona had recently received the news of an allied kingdom, Arendelle, by a letter from the present queen, Elsa. The kingdom had been attacked by giant creatures rising from the waters, but miraculously, one of them had turned out to be an ally. Queen Elsa described this giant monster as an ancestral god and even gave him a name ..... Godzilla.  
Realizing the consequences that such a discovery could bring to the world, Rapunzel decided to act and one night, while all in the castle, except her, slept, she settled on her desk, by the light of a candle, and wrote a letter to one of her friends.  
_ "We must prepare ..... the world is about to change .... with my friend Princess Belle, we can do something ... it's time for the organization Monarch to be born."  
***********   
_ "Maui, why did you ask me to come in the middle of the night?"  
Moana asked this question as she rubbed her sleepy eyes as she followed Maui down the beach of Motunui Island to caves along the eastern shore of the island. The demigod was walking, serious, holding a flaming torch in his hand. In retrospect, Moana remembered that the tribesmen had always refused to enter these caves, saying that they were cursed and forbidding the children to go.   
Moana and Maui finally entered the dark and disturbing cavern.  
_ "Maui, please, why bring me here?" she insisted. Maui stopped then, and looked at her with a very concerned air.  
_ "It's time for you to know the truth, Moana."  
_ "About what? You scare me, Maui." replied the young woman.  
_ "That this world has never been ours ... it belongs only to them." said Maui, with a dark and very serious voice. Moana raised an eyebrow, but realized it was something very important. He then lighted the rock walls of the cave with the light of his torch.  
_ "Kong ..... is not the only king."  
Moana first moved back and then remained frozen, her eyes wide and her mouth open in front of what she was staring at. Covering the rock of the cave, ancient rock paintings, representing Kong, but also other creatures with an immense and monstrous appearance ... A reptilian bird, with wings of fire and seeming to be born of a volcano ... A giant moth, spreading rays of light with its wings ... but the biggest and most terrifying painting was that of a face to face ... on the right, a big and terrifying three-headed dragon, spitting lightning his jaws and dominating all the other monsters by his waist ... and on the left, facing him, a large furious humanoid reptile, imposing and roaring, his back covered with dorsal spines ... the two creatures seemed in full confrontation. ... a true wrath of gods.


End file.
